IT’S YOUR PAPER

www.claytonpioneer.com November 20, 2009 925.672.0500

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Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Church News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Community Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Deal with It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Directory of Advertisers . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Doc Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Financial Sense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Food for Thought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24From the Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Going Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Holiday Shopping Guide . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Police Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Safety Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19School News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Senior Moments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Teen Speak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Time to Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

What’s Inside

JULIE PIERCE

MAYOR’S CORNER

Street sweeping priceycomponent of cleanwater standards

After reading about changesto the street-sweeping schedulein a nearby city, a residentrecently asked me why we haveto sweep our streets. Therequired minimum monthlystreet sweeping is just one ofthe methods we must use tomeet federal and state cleanwater standards.

The purpose of the streetsweeping is only partly toremove the litter. The main pur-pose is to pick up the oil-ladensand, rubber debris and otherpollutants that are shed by cars

See Mayor, page 19

Cookie Contest

Entry Form Page 12

Mt. Whitney climb is 60th birthday present for Clayton man and his friends

When Paul Eraclio turned50, his wife Maggie gave him aclimbing trip to the summit ofthe Grand Teton in Jackson

Hole, Wyo., as his birthday gift.Going one “step” better thisSeptember when he turned 60,Eraclio and three Claytonfriends hiked to the summit ofMt. Whitney – the highestpoint in the continental United

States at 14,505 feet.Joining Eraclio were Scott

and Karen Shackleton andJoyce Kelly, all experienced hik-ers. The friends hatched theidea last year at a neighborhooddinner in Clayton. Eraclio

already had seven trips to thesummit of Mt. Whitney andKelly had gone there twice. Forthe Shackletons, this would be afirst.

The Eraclios moved toClayton 12 years ago as a result

of a corporate transfer andwere inspired to start hikingwith beautiful Mt. Diablo as afront yard. On his first Diablohike, Eraclio found two

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Photo by Scott Shackleton

PAUL ERACLIO CELEBRATED HIS 60TH BIRTHDAY IN SEPTEMBER at the summit of Mt. Whitney. It was his eighth climb to the 14,505 peak. Blood driveallows 8thgrader to payit forward

Molly Avilez says she has adebt to pay. Not a credit carddebt for the latest skinny jeansor an advance against nextweek’s allowance – Molly’s debtis for her life.

On a Wednesday night in1997, as the family was leavinghome for church, there was amoment of confusion betweenher parents. “I thought her dadput her in the truck and hethought I did,” says MonicaFraga, Molly’s mother.

Students learn recipes for success

Kraft Macaroni and Cheese,bacon and mayo sandwichesand mixing bowls full of break-fast cereal are on their way outas snacks for students of theafter-school healthy cookingclass at Diablo View MiddleSchool.

Instead, the typically raven-ous students recently dined onpesto made with pumpkinseeds, basil and garlic; ravioliwith yams and kale; and, ofcourse, macaroni and cheese,but this time with Swiss chard,beans and wheat bread crumbs.

Best yet, the students madeall the dishes.

The class taught byMarirose Piciucco and ChristyKovacs is part of the after-school enrichment program puttogether as a joint effort byPatti Pratt (known around townas DramaMama) and ParentFaculty Club president AlisonBacigalupo, with the support of

school principal Patti Bannister.“Middle schoolers are at an

age where they are trying tofind an identity,” saidBacigalupo. “They want tobreak away from mom; theywant to hang out. We’ve seensome of that in gatheringsdown in the park or downtown.

“This is a way to cometogether with their peer group,do something fun and interest-ing, but in a safe environment,without necessarily mom anddad there.”

Regardless of the sociologi-cal schema involved, the kidswere having fun at a recentclass session. Christian Hein-Silva, 11, worked alongsidefriends Chase Benham, 11, andMichael Baker, 12. Supervisedby Kovacs, they diced cilantroand parsley for a falafel recipe.The day’s theme was Greekfood.

“No, dude – I always cutthe cilantro,” Christian insistedto one of the others as theyjostled for position at the

countertop.Beside him, Chase tasted

the herbs. “I like cilantro,” hedecided. “I like the taste of it. Ithink I would like it in sauces

and other stuff.”A fan of seafood – oysters

are his favorite – he joined the

DENISEN HARTLOVE

Clayton Pioneer

RecessionaryThanksgiving:a reminder of hope andgood faith

As Thanksgiving rollsaround and retailers ready forthe approaching Christmasshopping frenzy, tempered as itmay be, Clayton residents aretaking pause to remember thetrue meaning of the day.

“Our family typically servesat a public Thanksgiving meal,then goes home and has a fami-ly meal,” said Maj. Clay Gardnerof the Concord Salvation Army.

He and his wife, Maj. PamGardner, have many reasons togive thanks. This past year, Pamdonated a kidney to her friend

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

DIABLO VIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS Michael Baker, ChristianHein-Silva and Chase Benham work together with instructorChristy Kovacs to learn to make Greek food at a recent afterschool cooking class

ANDRÉ GENSBURGER

Clayton Pioneer

See Cooking, page 15

See Blood Drive, page 9

See Mt. Whitney, page 17

See Thanksgiving, page 23

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

MONICA FRAGA and daughterMolly Avilez appeal to thecommunity for blood dona-tions at Dec. 1 blood drive.

TAMARA STEINER

Clayton Pioneer

Page 2 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com November 20, 2009

What’s happening Around Town?We want to know what’s happening in your families and in your

neighborhoods.Send your news of births, engagements weddings, anniver-

saries, celebrations, etc. to info@claytonpioneer.com.Please attach your photos to the email as JPEG files between

between 3MB and 6MB and include a caption to identify peoplein your photos.

Around Town

Clayton Resident & Broker Owner

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Students honor WWII and Korean War vets

New granddaughter for the Laurences

Stephanie Joukoff marries James David Qualk

STUDENTS AT YGNACIO VALLEY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL in Concord celebrated Veterans Day with severalarea WWII and Korean War Veterans. Among those veterans sharing their personal stories wereDiamond Terrace residents Bob Case, 95, who served in the Army during WWII and his wifeJune. The Cases are pictured at far right.

Pete and Sherie Laurencewelcomed their first grand-daughter, Genevieve LaurelBowron, on Oct. 7.

Genevieve made her first

entrance at Kaiser Hospital inSanta Rosa, weighing in at 7 lbs.8 ozs.

Her parents are Alisa andJames Bowron.

Stephanie Joukoff, daughter of Beverly Joukoff of Claytonand Philip Joukoff of Walnut Creek married James David Qualkon September 6 in San Francisco. James is the son of Mr. andMrs. Bud Qualk of Mayfield, Kentucky.

Stephanie grew up in Clayton and attended Northgate HighSchool. She graduated from Stanford University in 2003 with amajor in International Relations and a minor in Russian Languageand Literature. A scholarship student-athlete, Stephanie was amember of the Stanford synchronized swimming team. Stephanieis an advertising executive, employed by TBWA\ CHIAT\DAY inNashville where she works on Nissan Motor Company’s DirectMarketing communications.

James attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville and earned aBachelor’s of Engineering in Civil Engineering in 1999. He is cur-rently the vice president and team leader for the SustainableSolutions Group of SSRCx in Nashville.

The couple will make their home in Nashville.

Actress KathyGarver, best known asCatherine “Cissy”Patterson-Davis on TV’s“Family Affair,” visitedClayton Books on Nov.4 to promote her newbook and make a snack.“The Family AffairCookbook” featuresfood and drink recipesfrom Mr. French’skitchen at the Davishousehold. The recipesare presented by the air-date in which the foodor drink item firstappeared on the show.Also included in thebook are recipes fromGarver and her friends.

- Mike Dunn

Child star touts ‘Family Affair Cookbook’

Pete and Sherie Laurencewith baby Genevieve.

November 20, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 3

Dec. 5Clayton Tree LightingMeet at the Gazebo at 6 p.m.

and bring a flashlight. The kidsfrom Mt. Diablo Elementarywill sing Christmas songs andSanta will lead the parade downMain Street for the annual TreeLighting festivities hosted by theClayton Business andCommunity Association. Stopat Clayton Community Churchfor free donut holes and hotapple cider and be on handwhen the mayor flips the switchon the city’s tree, officially kick-ing off the Christmas season.

Dec. 10Christmas Cookie ContestThe Clayton Pioneer’s annu-

al Christmas Cookie ContestJudging is at 6:30 p.m. at the

Library. Bring out your favoriteChristmas cookie recipe, bakeup a batch and join us for thejudging and Christmas Party. Allwill share in the cookie bounty.Live music and carol-sing led byVintage and special perform-ances by the DramaMama per-formers. DEADLINE FORENTRY is Dec. 7. See entryform in the Holiday Guide.

For more information, call thePioneer at 672-0500.

Dec. 12Dessert with Mrs. ClausHave dessert with Mrs. Claus

from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. atEndeavor Hall. (Note new loca-tion this year.) The event is afamily favorite with prizes,goodies and a visit with Santa. Adonation is appreciated, but the

event is free for children 12 andunder. This event is also spon-sored by the Clayton Businessand Community Association.

For more information, call 672-2272.

Dec. 31Clayton Counts DownCelebrate New Year's Eve

with the whole family this yearat the annual Clayton CountsDown no-alcohol celebration atthe Clayton Community Gym.The event, sponsored by the cityof Clayton and the YMCA,begins at 6 p.m. and ends at 9,leaving plenty of time forgrown-up celebrations later inthe evening.

For more information, or to vol-unteer, call the city of Clayton at673-7300.

Page 4 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com November 20, 2009

Upcoming Events

Festival of Trees fundraiser benefits Adopt-A-FamilyWalk into Diamond Terrace

this month and step into aChristmas wonderland. Dozensof Christmas wreaths andminiature trees, sparkling withtiny lights and exquisitely andpainstakingly decorated in indi-vidual themes, cover every sur-face of the lobby and livingroom.

Seven years ago, LindaJohnson, director of DiamondTerrace RetirementCommunity, approached theClayton Business andCommunity Association withthe idea of a Festival of Treessilent auction as a jointfundraiser.

“They make the lobby look

so beautiful,” says CindyHayden, CBCA member andfestival coordinator, “and theresidents really look forward tothis time of year.”

There are trees adornedwith seashells, snowflakes, stars,old Clayton photos and Santas.“Give people a naked tree, andit’s amazing what they can dowith it,” Johnson says with alaugh as she surveys thesparkling lobby.

The trees and wreaths aredecorated by CBCA members,local business owners andmembers of the community.

All proceeds go to theCBCA’s Adopt a Family pro-gram, which helps local needy

families with groceries duringthe holidays.

The auction is open to thepublic to view and bid on thetrees and wreaths through Dec.5, when they are awarded to thehighest bidders.

Diamond Terrace, at 6401Center St., Clayton, is open for view-ing 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily. For moreinformation, contact Cindy Haydonat 672-8262.

Pictured are a few of the manyFestival of Trees miniatureChristmas trees on display atDiamond Terrace.

FOR SALE

Sofa with ottoman, $700.

Beautiful dark brown, scrolledhardwood frame with 6 loose cush-ions. Cream colored textured fabric.80” long; 38” seat depth. CallChristine, (510) 393-5323 for pic-tures via email. Available to view atClayton residence.

SERVICES

Need help with your PC?

I can troubleshoot, repair orupgrade your current computer. Inhome tutoring, wireless networks,virus/spyware checks. Clayton resi-dent. 925-209-9704

PERSONALSJames Conrad Diaz – Please con-tact Mrs. Valentine.

VOLUNTEERSWANTED

Meals on Wheels Drivers

1 – 1 1/2 per week. Drivers andrelief drivers needed for delivery ofMeals on Wheels in East County.Call Jim at 673-0300 or e-mail hair-byjim@sbcglobal.net.

Anna’s Attic Volunteers

Call 674-9072 or (925) 766-5066.

Hospice of the East Bay

Seeking volunteers to provide homecompanionship and practical sup-port for women with recurrentbreast cancer. To volunteer callstore manager, Debbie at 674-9072or Lamont Campbell at (925) 766-5066.To apply for free training, callHospice of the East Bay at (925)887-5678 or email volunteers@hos-piceeastbay.org. .

Clayton Historical

Society Museum

Greeter needed. Call the museum at672-0240.

Clayton Community Library

Needs volunteers. Minimum age13. Minimum commitment is 6months. Some training provided.Shelver - to shelve and sensitizelibrary materials. Variousdays/times. Tutors - no prior expe-rience necessary! You determine thegrade level and subjects you arecomfortable with and thedays/times. Requires good commu-nication skills, patience and a desireto help students in the community.Contact: Arlene @ 673-9777 oremail: akikkawa@ccclib.org

November 20, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 5

Auto Clayton Valley Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-3900

Dirito Brothers Concord Volkswagen . . . . . . . . . .887-6000

Mike's Auto Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-1739

Niello Infinity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .866-443-1740

Construction and TradesBelfast Plumbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .457-5423

Burkin Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .212-3339

Grover Electric Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .969-9743

Ken Mitolo Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2460

Olde World Mill & Cabinets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .915-0822

Smith & Bernal Roofing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0138

Tipperary Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-2679

Dentist Bradburn, Keith D.D.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0110

Children's Dentistry of Walnut Creek . . . . . . . . . .938-2392

Chong, Jenny D.D.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .827-5595

Gardner, Randell D.D.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-0110

Renner, Jason D.D.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-2800

Rissel, Richard D.M.D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-2800

Dining and Entertainment Clayton Club Saloon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-0440

Willows Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .957-2500

Educational Services Katherine Palau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 510-207-7467

Events Breakfast with Mrs. Claus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 672-2272

Clayton Pioneer Cookie Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0500

Festival of Trees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-5100

Tree Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2272

Financial and Insurance Services Benton, Mureleen - Ameriprise Financial . . . . . .685-4523

CD Federal Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .825-0900

Ferrante Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .674-1755

Littorno, Richard - Attorney at Law . . . . . . . . . . .672-6463

Van Wyck, Doug - State Farm Insurance . . . . . . .672-2300

Fitness Butterfly Clayton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4238

Coach Terry Fit Body Boot Camp . . . . . . . . . . . .586-3649

In Shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .602-5600

FuneralsOuimet Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-4242

GiftsGift Baskets by Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .687-8878

Keenan Heinz Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .288-0159

The Royal Rooster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2025

Home and Garden Abbey Carpet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686-9901

Bee Hive Ovens, Al Fresco Imports . . . . . . . . . . .672-9547

Clayton Furniture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686-2299

Clear Splash Pool Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-6245

Floors to Go Danville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .820-8700

Lewis & Lewis Carpets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .939-2145

Pacific Coast Flooring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .609-2151

Nichols Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9955

Pans on Fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .600-7267

R & M Pool, Patio and Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0207

Utopic Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0055

Welcome Home House Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . .584-5980

Mailing and Shipping Postal Annex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-5246

The UPS Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-6245

Personal Products and Services A Perfect Tan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8261

Bella Mia Spa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .680-7792

Roberta Claire Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .625-1123

Sport Clips Haircuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-5686

Weight Watchers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-379-5757

Pet ServicesAussie Pet Mobile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-738-6624

Monte Vista Veterinary Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1100

O’Brien Family Pet Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .899-7354

Peace of Mind Pet Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9781

Rodies Feed and Country Store . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4600

Real Estate and Mortgage Services Flannery, Patty - Diablo Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0541

French, Lynne - Windermere Real Estate . . . . . .672-8787

Kavanaugh, Mike - RE/MAX Town & Country . . .383-6102

Laurence, Pete - RE/MAX Realty . . . . . . . . . . . .890-6004

Lopez, Stephanie - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . .932-7329

Morucci, Kim - Intero Real Estate Services . . . . .280-8563

Rahimzadeh, Helen -Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . .932-7375

Vujnovich, George - Better Homes Realty . . . . .672-4433

Recreation Clayton Bicycles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2522

Clayton Valley Bowl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-4631

Oakhurst Country Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9737

YMCA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .889-1600

Senior ServicesAegis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .692-5853

Diamond Terrace Senior Retirement Living . . . . .524-5100

Services, Other Appliance Repairs by Bruce, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2700

Computers USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9989

Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-800-646-1431

Recycling Center & Transfer Station . . . . . . . . . .473-0180

Shopping Donna’s Quilting Loft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0401

Seasonal Reflections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4425

Sports Chalet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .521-7009

TravelCruise Adventures Unlimited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .935-7447

Travel to Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9840

Directory of Advertisers

P.O. Box 1246

6200 Center Street, Suite H, Clayton, CA 94517

TAMARA AND ROBERT STEINER, PublishersTAMARA STEINER, EditorANDRÉ GENSBURGER, Reporter and Feature WriterPETE CRUZ, Graphic DesignBEV BRITTON, Copy Editor JAY BEDECARRÉ, Sports BETH NEUDELL, Advertising Sales CHRISTINA SCARLOTT, Administrative Assistant

We remember Jill Bedecarré - Her spirit is our muse

PIONEER INFOCONTACT US

Tel: (925) 672-0500Fax: (925) 672-6580

Tamara Steinertamara@claytonpioneer.com

André GensburgerAndre@claytonpioneer.com

Beth Neudellbeth@claytonpioneer.com

Send ads toads@claytonpioneer.com

Send Sports News tosports@claytonpioneer.com

Send Club News toclubnews@claytonpioneer.com

Send Church News tochurchnews@claytonpioneer.com

Send School News toschoolnews@claytonpioneer.com

CLASSIFIEDSClassified rates per insertion:Non-profit: $12 for first 30

words, $.20 each additionalword

Individual/non-commercial:$18 for first 30 words, $.30each additional word

Commercial: $48 for first 30words, $.40 each additionalword

To place your classified ad over thephone, call the office at (925) 672-0500 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.Mon.-Fri. Or, you may fax your type-written ad and credit card informa-tion to (925) 672-6580. All classifiedsmust be paid for in advance by creditcard (Master Card or Visa)

We will not accept any ad that dis-criminates on the basis of race, color,sex, religion, nationality, family statusor disability. The Clayton Pioneerreserves the right to reject any adver-tising we believe is unsuitable.

LET US KNOWWeddings, engagements, anniver-

saries, births and deaths all weavetogether as part of the fabric of ourcommunity. Please let us know ofthese important events. We ask onlythat the announcement be for aClayton resident. You will find theappropriate form for your announce-ment on our Website. Attach yourphoto to the form. Make sure theimage size you are about to send is atleast 3 MB but not bigger than 6MB.The only format we accept is JPG. Youcan also mail or bring your print to theoffice and we can scan it for you.

Also on our Web site are formsfor submitting Community Calendaritems and press releases for yourorganization.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The Clayton Pioneer welcomesletters from our readers. As a generalrule, letters should be 300 words orless and submitted at least one weekprior to publication date. Letters con-cerning current issues will have priori-ty. We may edit letters for length andclarity. All letters will be published atthe editor’s discretion.

Please include your name, addressand daytime telephone number. Wewill not print letters from “anony-mous.”

E-mail your letter in a Worddocument to tamara@clayton-pioneer.com. Letters MUST be sub-mitted via E-mail.

Certain membership requirements may apply.

Join at any branch or online at www.traviscu.org

Concord: 1257 Willow Pass Road Clayton Valley: 5442 Ygnacio Valley Rd, Suite 10Antioch: 5819 Lone Tree Way Brentwood: 3111 Balfour Road, Suite N

For first-class service and a better way to bank, give us a try, and watch yourfrustration with big bank thinking drain away. Our members have named Travis Credit Union the best place to bank 11 times. We’d love to show you why.Switch now and get the service you deserve.

Classified

Clayton CountsDown family eventcounts on volunteers

The 7th Annual “Clayton Counts Down” New Year’s Eve cele-bration is quickly approaching. This fun, no-alcohol event has quick-ly become a tradition thanks to the busy hands and strong backs ofdozens of volunteers.

No meetings are required, just willing hands early in the day tohelp set up, and at the event to help with craft activities, games, signin, and food, take down-clean up. The city needs volunteers to filltime slots between 1 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. To volunteer, call the cityclerk at (925) 673-7300, or email to ljackson@ci.clayton.ca.us.“Clayton Counts Down” is at the Clayton Community Gym, 6-9p.m. on New Year’s Eve. This FREE celebration is funded entirelyby community donations and run by an all volunteer committeewith assistance from the City of Clayton and the Mt. Diablo RegionYMCA.

Athletic Foundation story hits home runWe have had a lot of newspaper coverage on the MDUSD

Athletic Foundation and the plight to save high school sports but Ihave to say Jay Bedecarré’s article article in the Oct. 23 Pioneer wasthe most informative and most accurately portrayed the true pictureof what is happening in the school district. Thanks for taking thetime to be so thorough and complementary. I really appreciate itand each and every one on the Foundation is with me on that.

– Pat Middendorf, CVHS Athletic Director

Letter to the Editor

HELP WANTED

Real Estate Agents

Be Successful! Lynne French isexpanding and interviewing for afew agents. Call her today (925)672-8787.

CLAYTON BUSINESS & COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

In preparation for the holidays, CBCA memberswill decorate the downtown this weekend.

The annual Adopt a Family program, which pro-vides Christmas gifts for local families experiencinghardship, is underway. Food donations for the CrisisCenter and gifts for service people and their K-9helpers are always welcome.

This fall, the CBCA delivered some 400 filled back-packs through their Back-to-School program anddonated $25,000 to the United Mt. Diablo AthleticFoundation.

If you want to help with these worthy causes, callSue White at 672-2272 or Joan Culver at 672-6710.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

Concord Council 6038 is now meeting at 7:30 p.m.the first Wednesday of the month, except holidays, atCauchi Hall, St. Agnes Catholic Church, 3966 ChestnutSt., Concord. This is a new place and time.

For more information, contact George Conlow at685-9547 or visit kofc6038.org.

QI have heard that the first-time homebuyer’s tax

credit has been extended. Couldyou fill me in on the details?

ACongress has approvednot only an extension of

the current credit but an expan-sion of the credit to move-upbuyers. The original credit wasfor anyone who hadn’t owned ahome for the last three years. Itis 10 percent of the sale price or$8,000, whichever is less. In ourarea, it almost always comes outto the $8,000.

The expanded version alsoapplies to homeowners whohave lived in their home five ofthe last eight years if they sellthat home and buy another.They can claim a $6,500 credit.Home purchases can’t exceed$800,000.

In both cases, the income ofan individual can’t exceed$125,000 a year. For a couple, it

is $225,000 a year. The originalcredit was due to expire at theend of November. It is nowextended to April 30, 2010.Your house must be closed bythat date.

QWhat is the differencebetween a tax deduction

and a tax credit?

AA tax deduction is adeduction from your tax-

able income. If your grossincome is $80,000 and you havean $8,000 tax deduction, youwould pay taxes on $72,000.With a tax credit, if you owe$10,000 in taxes, you would onlypay $2,000 – with an $8,000 taxcredit. It is actually a dollar fordollar deduction.

QCan I access the moneyfor this credit sooner

than waiting to file my incometaxes so I can use it for my clos-ing costs or down payment?

A. I am happy to tell you yes.If you believe you qualify forthe tax credit, you are permittedto reduce your income tax with-holding up to the amount of thecredit. This will enable you toaccumulate cash by raising yourtake-home pay.

QIs it wise to list my homefor sale in the middle of

the holiday season?

ARight now is a great timeto sell because of low

inventory. There are pent-upforeclosure inventories beingheld by banks that could hit themarket any time. We have noway to gauge when the homeswill be released by the banks.They are slowly filtering ontothe market.

There are buyers waitingright now for the right property.They want to take advantage ofthe credits that are now extend-ed. So this year, the seasonalaspect doesn’t come into play asmuch as usual.

Even in a normal holidaymarket, there are buyers. Whatis nice is that only the seriousbuyers are out looking for prop-erty, so you won’t get as manyshowings to disturb your plans.These serious buyers know theywon’t have as much competition

as in the spring market. Thebuyers who tend to look athomes for research but aren’tready to buy probably won’t beout looking during the holidays.

Further, relocation buyerswho are being transferredthrough their company oftenbuy over the holidays so theycan start their new jobs at thebeginning of the year.

QDo you suggest that Iallow my Realtor to hold

open houses for the publicwhen I put my home on themarket? Won’t we get mostlyneighbors?

AThis is a choice youshould make with your

Realtor. A home could sell with-out an open house, but sellingyour home for top dollar is anumbers game. The more expo-sure the home gets, the betterterms and price you might

receive.I believe there are appropri-

ate times to hold an open house.It is important when it is new onthe market. After that, it shouldbe on an “as needed” basis –perhaps every other week.

Some potential buyers aren’tworking with a Realtor yet, sothey wouldn’t see your home ifyou didn’t have an open house.In addition, an open house is aconvenient time for a buyer totake a second look if he hasalready seen the property withhis agent.

Send your question and look foryour answer in a future column.Email Lynne@LynneFrench.com.

Lynne French is thebroker/owner of Windermere LynneFrench & Associates and a Claytonresident. For any real estate needs orquestions, contact her at 672-8787 orstop in at 6200 Center St., Clayton.

Page 6 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com November 20, 2009

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Club NewsCLAYTON VALLEY

GARDEN CLUB

The garden club has beenworking with the Diablo ViewMiddle School Student GardenProject. Garden club memberNeal Richmond built a raisedbed that will enable the specialstudents to participate in thegarden. The club plans to pro-vide a second raised planterbox in time for spring planting.

Leftover vegetables fromthe garden club’s first FallPlant Sale were also donated tothe school’s garden project.

STUDENT FAITH BOGUMIL tends the planterbox at Diablo View Middle School.

For groups looking forfundraising opportunities,Clayton Books may have justthe answer. Between now andChristmas, your group can raisemoney one of three ways:

Designate a “ShoppingNight” and Clayton Books willdonate a percentage of all salesto your group.

Wrap packages for fun andtips. Clayton Books will set up a

giftwrap table in front of thestore and will provide all thesupplies. You bring the tip jar.

Buy gift cards at a discountand resell them. Profits go toyour group.

Clayton Books is located inSuite D in the Clayton Station.Phone 673-3325.

For more information or to bookyour event, email joelharris@aol.com.

Fundraisingmade simple atClayton Books

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Getting older is fine;runaway time is not

I have come to recognize theconspiracy of aging is a speed-ing up of the time sense wehave – that part of our brainthat adjusts the amount of liv-ing we can squeeze into theamount of conscious hours wehave.

What confuses me no end isthat I sleep less now than whenI was a teenager; I work farharder and still seem to believethat the day has somehowpassed by faster.

“It gets worse in your 50s,”my father told me while I was inmy 40s.

Now in my 50s, I fully agreewith him and reminded him ofhis comment. “It gets worse inyour 60s and 70s,” he said,deflating any hope I had thatsomehow this deficiency wouldplateau.

I enjoyed perfect vision in myyouth. Until I turned 30, I had20/20 vision. And then, withoutwarning, each eye seceded fromthe union. As if it were not badenough to be near sighted or farsighted, I found myself in bothcategories with an asymmetricalfocal length requiring differentlenses for each eye.

This optometric dance con-tinued unabated for the last 20

years. “It gets worse,” my fathersaid.

Time is relative. That state-ment is not meant as anEinstein pun, but rather to thefact that we observe the passageof time differently. Do yourecall wishing that you were 25while you were 14 or 15? Andwhen you reached 25, do yourecall wishing for 30?

Like grass, the image isalways better at some other age.When you are young, age is con-sidered respectable. People takeyou seriously when you reach acertain age. No one takesteenagers seriously. And someyears just pass by in a blur andsadly, you remember them as ablur – those happy party yearswhere responsibility was a wordyou could not spell correctly atan age when you had all theanswers and considered yourparents obsolete and foolish.

I know that at the young ageof 50, I seem to have slammedon the brakes. Now poised atthe cliff edge, I look back andwonder where it all went. Worse,I worry that if I take my eyes offthe brake pedal of life, the nextthing I know I will be in adultdiapers and getting spoon fedmush, a memory I did not evenhave from the last go round ofdiapers and mush.

“You’re always working,” myteen boys moan.

Their father is consumed

with making a living and has notime to play video games, listento the latest monotonic thud ofsome pinheaded rapper orindulge in hours of shoppingfor pants that look like theybarely survived the ninja assas-sin’s blade.

Yep, that’s me. I work for aliving. I work long and hard andlike the rest of the aging tax-paying members of society – adwindling base of support Imight add – I have little time tostop and watch the weeks zip-ping by, the months zipping byand the years whizzing by. Iwork longer hours than theyoungsters, more complex,detail-oriented trust work com-pared to their minimum wagepizza-making, fast-food servinglife, and yet they seem to haveall the time in the world to ana-lyze the mystical message ofsome ex-murder-convict rapperwith gold front teeth and a nick-name like “Scabies-Punkz.”

In the ’60s, people lost entireyears to some drug-induced hal-lucinogenic haze. I don’t havethat excuse. And I want it tostop. I can deal with gettingolder, but losing the years is justsomething bad and I don’t wantto have to deal with it.

ANDRÉ GENSBURGER

DEAL WITH IT

André Gensburger is a staffreporter and feature writer for thePioneer. His email address isandre@claytonpioneer.com

If you’ve decided to go toIndia, China, Latin America,Africa or another developingcountry, you may be wonderingwhat you need to know and doin order to keep yourself wellduring the trip.

American travelers make anestimated 300 million trips toother countries, especially devel-oping countries, for business,tourism and humanitarianefforts. It is estimated that morethan 10 million people becomeill as a result of their travel.

It used to be that travel med-icine focused on the preventionand treatment of malaria, diar-rhea and general vaccinations. Ithas now become a dynamic spe-cialty with vast medical knowl-edge requirements that encom-pass aspects of infectious dis-ease, public health, tropical

medicine, wilderness medicineand corresponding immuniza-tions.

Many illnesses could beeliminated with adequate pre-travel education and prepara-tion. Travelers have always beenable to access the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention(CDC) and World HealthOrganization (WHO) for cur-rent travel medical informationand recommendations. But twogroups in particular have devel-oped in the role of travel medi-cine as a subspecialty of care:the International Society ofTravel Medicine (ISTM) and theAmerican Society of TropicalMedicine and Hygiene(ASTMH).

The closest travel medicinespecialist for Clayton residentsis Bayside Medical Group in

Walnut Creek. According tooffice manager Winne Yu, thereare three doctors trained to pro-vide up-to-date CDC recom-mendations, administer immu-nizations, prescribe medicationsand discuss precautionary meas-ures. They maintain an invento-ry of vaccines and prescriptiondrugs that regular medicaloffices do not carry because ofthe cost involved.

You can usually get anappointment within 24 to 48hours and they will give you aprintout of information related

Add health concernsto travel planning

PEGGY BIDONDO

TIME TO GO

See Travel, page 10

Page 8 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com November 20, 2009

Mike KavanaughOwner

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Don’t be bamboozled byfraudulent contractors

About 18 months ago, a sen-ior Clayton resident was con-tacted by a person who said hewas an unemployed contractorand needed work. He told thesenior citizen that it appeared tohim that she needed work donearound her house.

As it turns out, she did havesome small projects and minorwork to be accomplished, so shehired him. They agreed on someof the projects to be done.

Before the work was to start,the contractor asked for most ofthe money up front for materi-als, etc. The contractor returnedand did some of the work butdemanded more money foradditional materials. He neverfinished the first job.

He performed minor workaround the house that satisfiedher and contributed to a falsesense of confidence she had inthe contractor. Over the next 18months, the contractor was ableto convince her that she neededhim to do more projects andbasic maintenance around herhouse. The contractor also con-vinced her that he needed themoney up front to accomplishthe minor jobs.

In short, the contractornever accomplished what hesaid he would do, despite thelarge sum of money the seniorcitizen gave him over time. Thissenior citizen is a victim of elderabuse and contractor fraud.

You don’t have to be a sen-ior citizen to become a victimof contractor fraud. A typicalhomeowner usually has homerepair needs. Your roof mayhave a leak, your floors mayneed replacing, the backyardretaining walls might be sag-ging, the landscaping may needa face lift, your driveway orpatio could require patching orreplacement, etc. If you havethe skill and time, you may wantto save money by doing thework yourself. However, mostof us probably need to hiresomeone to do the skillful workrequired.

Even though there may bemany contractors competingfor home improvement jobsbecause of the slow economy,hiring one can be a difficulttask. Most people just skimthrough the process, not takingcareful notice of subtle hintsthat cause people to get rippedoff. In fact, the Better BusinessBureau ranks contractor fraudas their No. 1 complaint eachyear.

WARNING SIGNS OF FRAUD

A contractor may be runninga scam if he:

Solicits door-to-door. Most legit-imate contractors can find workthrough word of mouth.

Does not list a number in thephone book. This could create achallenge contacting him ifthere are problems after the firstpayment is made.

Asks you to get the requiredbuilding permits. Contractorsshould provide all necessarypermits. If they ask you to dothis, they may not have a license.

Only accepts cash. A legitimatecontractor should have the

appropriate financial accountsand should accept a variety ofpayment options. If you givehim cash, you may never seehim again.

Will give you a discount if youfind other customers for that con-tractor.

Has material left over from otherjobs that are available for your job. Ifa contractor has materials leftover from a previous job and heis making them available to you,he either didn’t finish the otherjob or is cheating the other cus-tomer.

Tells you that your job will bea demonstration. Establishedcontractors have completedenough projects that they don’tneed your job as a demonstra-tion.

Offers an unreasonable guarantee.If it sounds too good to be true,it usually is.

Asks for you to pay for the wholejob up front. This contractorcould be long gone well beforeyour job gets underway. Theyare only entitled to 10 percentup front.

ERR ON THE SIDE

OF CAUTION

Here are some ways to pro-tect yourself:

Hire a contractor with avalid contractor’s license that isappropriate for the job to beaccomplished. You can checkonline under ConsumerServices at ca.gov. Or, call theBetter Business Bureau at 510-844-2000 or 866-411-2221.

Read and understand everyword of the contract beforesigning it. The contract shouldsay what is to be done, whatmaterial will be used, when theproject will start/end and a

breakdown of all charges.Never sign a contract that

sounds too good to be true.Avoid bargains that sound

too good to be true. The con-tractor may have to cut cornersto live up to his promises.

Be wary of contractors whotry to scare you into quicklysigning a contract to do repairwork that the contractor says isurgent. Seek a second opinion ifpossible.

Never pay the contractor upfront. If the contractor says hecan’t do the work without pay-ment up front, find someoneelse.

The elderly victim whom Idescribed above finally soughthelp from a friend. It turns outthe contractor did not have theappropriate license for the workhe was offering to do and hebasically stole a large amount ofthe victim’s money.

In this particular case, Ibelieve that the fraudulent con-tractor will eventually be heldaccountable for his fraudulentactions.

Most of these types ofissues with contractors are civilin nature. However, some situa-tions can become criminal andwould require a police reportand investigation of the fraudu-lent activity by the contractor.

If you have further questionsabout issues with contractors, call theClayton Police Department at 673-7350.

DAN LAWRENCE

FROM THE CHIEF

Dan Lawrence is Clayton’s PoliceChief. Please send your questions,comments or topics you’d like to see covered to DanL@cpd.ci.concord.ca.us

TWO WEEKS ENDING

NOVEMBER 12, 2009

ARRESTS

Oct. 31, 7:07 a.m., ClaytonRd. and Tara Dr. Warrant,Concord man, 24

Oct. 31, 6:21 p.m., Del TrigoLn. and Mitchell Canyon Rd.Suspended license; Probationviolation, Clayton woman, 22.

Oct. 31, 6:21 p.m., KirkerPass Rd. and Olive Dr.Suspended license; Warrant,Concord man, 52.

Nov. 4, 1:08 a.m., Clayton Rd.False Personalization; Suspendedlicense; Warrant, Concordwoman, and a Concord man,both 29.

Nov. 4, 12:15 p.m., ClaytonRd. and Balhan Dr. DUIAlcohol/Drugs, Concordwoman, 40.

Nov. 5, 9:05 a.m., CaminoEstrada Dr. and Concord Blvd.Driving without a license, RioLinda Man, 38.

Nov. 5, 10:01 a.m., OakhurstDr. and Indian Wells Wy.Suspended license, Concordman, 28.

Nov. 6, 11:31 a.m., Center St.and Marsh Creek Rd. Suspendedlicense, Pittsburg man, 21.

BURGLARIES/THEFTS

Oct. 30, 4:53 p.m., ClaytonRd. Petty theft

Oct. 31, 12:54 p.m.,

Mountaire Cir. Attempted bur-glary

Oct. 31, 1:42 p.m., JoscoloView. Residential burglary

Nov. 3, 10:05 a.m., JoscoloView. Petty theft

Nov. 7, 10:45 a.m., EaglePeak Ave. Vehicle Burglary

Nov. 7, 1:16 p.m., OhloneHeights. Grand theft

Nov. 9, 2:46 a.m.,Chardonnay Cir. Vehicle burgla-ry

Nov. 10, 9:39 a.m., ElCamino Dr. Petty theft

Nov. 11, 4:56 p.m., ClaytonRd. Petty theft

VANDALISM

Nov. 2, 11:50 a.m., EaglePeak Dr.

Nov. 6, 12:15 p.m., MarshCreek Rd.

Nov. 10, 1:05 p.m., Center St.

Police Log

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But 17-month-old Molly wasin the driveway – not inside thetruck, but behind it.

“I ran over her,” Monica saysquietly. “It was the worst day ofmy life.”

The accident severed Molly’sliver and she lost over half ofher blood. “She was bleedingfaster than the doctors couldsuction it,” Monica recalls. Thedoctors gave the baby less than a50 percent chance of survivingthe night.

But Molly defied the odds.In the days that followed, thetiny girl’s stubborn natureemerged and Molly survived.More than 200 people respond-ed to Molly’s story with blooddonations. “She’s a miracle,”says Monica.

Today, Molly is an outgoing,warm-hearted eighth-grader atDiablo View Middle School. InSeptember, she signed up forthe leadership class and beganlooking for a community serviceproject.

“I wanted something thatwas truly mine, that I could con-trol,” Molly explains in her typi-cally earnest manner.

When her grandmotherdonated blood that month, aproject began to take shape inMolly’s head. She would spon-sor a blood drive for the RedCross.

“I’m here because peoplegave blood and gave me a sec-ond chance,” Molly says. “I wantto give back the opportunity tolive a second life like I had.”

The idea was the easy part,Molly admits. But, putting it alltogether would take moreorganization, discipline andtenacity than even Molly knew

she had.Initially, her plan met with

some resistance from both theschool and her friends.

“The school wasn’t very sup-portive because students are tooyoung to donate blood,” Mollynotes. “And, at first, my friendsthought the idea was disgust-ing.”

Undaunted, Molly movedforward. “I’m doing this with orwithout your support,” she toldthem.

It wasn’t long before thefocused teen had won over thenaysayers. The friend thatrecoiled at the thought of a nee-dle helped Molly make the fliersfor the event, and students inher leadership class have volun-teered to help at the drive.

When Molly first discussedthe blood drive sponsorshipwith her mother, Monica wascautiously supportive. “But Ididn’t really absorb the magni-tude of the project,” she says.

“Her perseverance and disci-pline have been amazing. I can’teven get her to clean her bath-room,” she adds with a laugh.

Molly’s determination to seethe project through was testedearly on when the date agreedon by the school and Red Crossconflicted with the family’slong-planned vacation toMexico.

Luckily, the trip wasarranged by her grandmother,Pat Fraga, owner of Travel toGo in Clayton. Calling in everyfavor and pulling every stringshe could find, Fraga resched-uled enough of the trip to allowMolly to do both the drive andthe vacation. “But, she was pre-pared to stay home if neces-

sary,” says her mother.The family’s Clayton roots

go deep. Monica and her hus-band, Matt, were high schoolsweethearts at Clayton Valley.The two reconnected after briefmarriages to others. Monica’smother, Diane Avilez, still livesin Clayton. Molly and her familylive on Marsh Creek Road.

According to Red Cross rep-resentative Andy Zyla, Molly isquite likely the organization’syoungest blood drive sponsor.“She’s like the instant best spon-sor,” says Zyla, who is coordi-nating Molly’s drive. “She’s righton top of everything.”

“My mom has always said,‘Be a leader, not a follower,”notes Molly.

Winter and summer are typi-cally slow times for blood dona-tions, says Zyla, who is hopingfor a large turnout for Molly’sBlood Drive on Dec. 1. Type Odonors are especially needed.

“Molly has a compellingstory and is very focused. Attachthat energy to anything, and itgrabs people.”

Donating blood is easy andpainless. “It’s just a little bit of apin prick,” assures Molly, “asmall price to pay for saving alife.

“What if the doctors hadtold my mom, ‘We can’t save herbecause we don’t have enoughblood?’ Please donate.”

Molly’s Blood Drive is at theClayton Community Gym on Dec. 1,

from 2:30-7:30 p.m. Donors must be17 or older, weigh at least 110 lbs., bein good health and must not havedonated blood in the last 56 days. Formore information on eligibility, callthe American Red Cross at (866)236-3276.

To see Molly and Monica, go toYouTube.com and enter Molly’s BloodDrive H264 in the search window.

November 20, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 9

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Parents, educators address facts andfrustrations at dyslexia presentation

Fifty parents from Claytonand surrounding areas attendeda recent presentation at Mt.Diablo Elementary School ondyslexia – with many parentsciting concerns about diagnosisand school accommodations.

April McMurtrey, a certifieddyslexia testing specialist,described warning signs includ-ing difficulty understandingdirections such as left or right,difficulty memorizing sightwords and an inability to copywords off a blackboard.

According to McMurtrey,myths about dyslexia abound.“Every dyslexic can read – up toa point,” she said.

Another false assumption isthat the disorder is rare. Studiesfrom the National Institute ofHealth show that up to 20 per-cent of the population may havedyslexia or similar disorders.

While Mt. Diablo UnifiedSchool District officials repeat-edly insist they have resourcesavailable for children withdyslexia, including a budget of$68 million for special educa-tion services, more than oneparent at the presentationexpressed frustration.

Judy B. of Clayton said thatschool officials offered littleassistance to her third-gradeson, who had been having trou-ble learning to read and wasgrowing increasingly anxiousabout school.

“I begged them to tell mewhat was wrong with my son, soI could get him the help,”recalled Judy, who was amongparents hesitant to have theirnames used for fear their chil-dren would be teased.

After more than a year ofletters and meetings with schoolofficials, she finally got the dis-

trict to test her son for a learn-ing disorder.

“They told me there wasabsolutely nothing wrong withmy son,” she reported beingtold after testing was finished.

Unconvinced, she took himto an educational psychologist,who diagnosed him with dyslex-ia and directed their family tolocal tutors and resources.

Another Clayton parent,Cheryl R., suspects her son hasdyslexia. “His teacher was somad that he spelled his wordswrong when the word was onthe board or in a book,” shenoted.

According to Rose Lock, thedistrict’s assistant superinten-dent of elementary education,part of the difficulty may bethat the district specifies whattype of language processing dif-ficulties each student has butdoesn’t use the word “dyslexia”in assessments.

“We are taking care of thosekids,” she asserted, citing thedistrict’s assessment process forparents with concerns abouttheir children’s progress.

Gary Eberhart, president ofthe MDUSD Board ofEducation, said he would be infavor of implementing someform of assessment for dyslexiaor language processing disor-ders for all incoming students,budget issues allowing. Somestates have laws mandatingdyslexia testing under certaincircumstances.

“We test students for hearingand vision, right?” he said.“Because it doesn’t do us anygood to have a first-grader inthe back of a classroom whocan’t see the board or a third-grader sitting in the back whocan’t hear the teacher. That’seffectively what we’re doingwith students with dyslexia.”

Jill Rogan, a parent of afifth-grader, went through theIndividualized EducationProgram (IEP) process and hadthe district test her son for alearning disorder when he washaving difficulties learning toread.

“I said (to school officials):‘Help me, I don’t know what’swrong.’ And they said,

‘Nothing’s wrong, he’s justdevelopmentally delayed inreading,’ ” she recounted.

She has since had an inde-pendent neurologist assess herchild and came up with a diag-nosis of dyslexia.

Some parents are takingmatters into their own hands.

Judy B. wears a shirt onerrands around town with theinvitation across the back: “Askme about dyslexia.” She saidthat in her last two trips to thegrocery, at least 15 peopleapproached her with questions.Some had struggling children oftheir own. She also helpedorganize the presentation at theschool.

“I don’t know where the dis-connect is,” she said. “It makesno sense to me that you wouldleave one single child behind.”

While Mt. DiabloElementary School has after-school programs to help withhomework, including theKaleidoscope reading programand the Homework Club, noprogram is available on campusto help children with dyslexia.

Mildred Browne, assistantsuperintendent in charge ofspecial education, acknowl-edged the lack of programs andpromised the district wouldlook into it further.

“I know the parents havecomplained and have probablyvery legitimate concerns inregard to their students notbeing successful,” she said. “Iknow this is a concern for Mt.Diablo Elementary.”

In the meantime, parentsremain hopeful that their chil-dren can and will succeed.

“I think they’re becomingmore aware of it,” Rogan said ofdistrict officials. “That (principalBob) Dodson showed up and lis-tened to the whole thing mademe happy. It’s a good start.”

DENISEN HARTLOVE

Clayton Pioneer

Mikd Dunn/Clayton Pioneer

APRIL MCMURTREY, DYSLEXIA TEACHING SPECIALIST, discussed thewarning signs and special needs of dyslexic students at “CouldIt Be Dyslexia,” Nov. 3 at Mt. Diablo Elementary School.

to your destination. Check thetravel medicine link atbaysidemed.com.

I recently had the pleasureof interviewing Dr. NathanielRatnasamy, a specialist ininfectious diseases and travelmedicine from Findlay, Ohio.According to Ratnasamy, trav-el to first world countries isnot an issue since the risk ofhealth problems is not muchdifferent than being at home –except that some people’s levelof risk-taking increases onvacation, such as mountainclimbing, boating, parasailingand zip-lining.

Travel to developingnations requires more cautionwith drinking water, anincrease in food-borne infec-tions and, in the tropics, morerisk of infections such as yel-low fever, malaria and denguefever.

A medical kit is an essentialitem to add to your packinglist. In this country, a personcan always locate a conven-ience store or drug store thatis open 24 hours.Internationally, locating storesat odd hours may be more dif-ficult and reading labels inanother language can compli-cate the problem.

Ratnasamy recommendsbringing Tylenol/Advil,Imodium (or generic lop-eramide), sunscreen, insectrepellent, a simple first aid kit,and anything you commonlyuse at home such as antacids,allergy meds, cold meds, laxa-tives, sleep aids, etc. BaysideMedical Group also recom-mended hydrocortisone creamand a triple antibiotic oint-

ment.I asked both Ratnasamy

and Bayside if it was necessaryto carry your prescriptionmedications in the originalcontainers, and they say it isthe best approach. A list ofthe generic versions of yourprescription is also useful ifyou need to get a replacementdrug. Remember to bring thephone number and emailaddress of your physician.

Travel Tip: Always bringalong extra prescription med-ication in your carry-on lug-gage. You never know if you’llbe away longer than expected.A friend was in Italy on 9/11and it took an extra week toget home. Most people ran outof their medications.

Recently retired, Clayton residentPeggy Bidondo now has the time toindulge her passion in travel planning andwriting.

Send your questions and columnideas to Peggy Bidondo at timetogo@claytonpioneer.com.

November 20, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 10

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Travel, from page 7Grieving artist finds solacein creating new works

Clayton ceramics artist EllenSachtschale will be featured inCivic Arts Education and theClay Arts Guild annual holidayshow and sale Dec. 4-6 inWalnut Creek.

The popular ceramicsteacher finds solace in her art asshe copes with the death of herhusband, Rick, while hikingwith their son on Mt. Diablolast summer. The mom of threeteens is more determined thanever to successfully make a liv-ing with her art and her teach-ing.

Sachtschale has developed aline of what she calls BlessingBowls. The earthy, handmadebowls are unique works ofceramic art in her original,organic style – filled with anassortment of pods, seeds andpotpourri as well as ribbons towrite words of love, gratitude,affirmations and blessings. Eachalso features a comforting scent.

“I find great joy in creatingmy Blessing Bowls and it is myhope that they will create somegood out there in the world,encouraging people to expresspositive feelings to each other,”Sachtschale says.

Her Garden Vessel sculp-tures look like a living part ofthe garden. The artist describesher unique style as “bulbous,asymmetrical, pod-like andcurvilinear.”

Although much of her inspi-ration comes from the plantworld, many of her pieces alsoresemble the shapes and formof the human body.

“My work reflects many

qualities of the human spirit,”she notes. “Some conceal andprotect their inner selves, whileothers celebrate in full bloomand some swell in willing antici-pation of great growth. I oftenuse the pod as a metaphor forlife, because of its simple beau-ty and the unseen potential ofthe seed within.”

For more about her classesand upcoming workshops, visit

gardenvessels.com or emailesachtschale@yahoo.com.

The art show begins with an open-ing party, 5-8 p.m. Dec. 4. It alsoruns 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 5-6.Ceramics are at Civic Park, 1313Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. Paintings,jewelry and textiles are at theShadelands Campus, 111 WigetLane, Walnut Creek. For more infor-mation, call 943-5846 or visit arts-ed.org/civicartsale.htm.

Photo by Marlea McKinstry

CIVIC ARTS EDUCATION HOLIDAY ART SHOW will feature the workof Clayton ceramics artist, Ellen Sachtschale

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The Food Bank of Contra Costa and SolanoCounty is asking for extra help this holiday season.

“Each month, over 100,000people need help feeding theirfamilies,” says Food BankCommunity Relations Manager,Lisa Sherrill. “It may be some-one you know, someone at workor someone living on yourstreet. It is probably someonewho looks just like you or me.”

There are many ways to helpand donations of food, moneyand time are all needed.

“For many people and busi-nesses, the traditional food driveis the most exciting and fun,”Sherrill says. The process is sim-ple. The Food Bank will deliver

food barrels and pick them upwhen full. They will weigh thefood and report back on howmany pounds of food were col-lected. “Consider challengingother friends, company depart-ments, businesses or schools toa friendly competition,”

OTHER WAYS TO HELP

Host a special benefit event.Collect food or money at holi-day parties, birthday parties, car-oling events or luncheons,

Use the Buy A Bag programduring the holidays. The FoodBank provides small die cut

paper bags or stockings and thesponsor sets the donationamount. For more informationcontact Kathy Gleason at(925)771-1313, kgleason@food-bankccs.org or visit www.food-bankccs.org .

Donate cash through theVirtual Food Drive. “TheVirtual Drive helps us get moremeals on the tables of hungrypeople faster and with lessexpense because we are able topurchase whole truckloads ofhighly nutritious, new food,”Sherrill explains. Virtual Food

Drive donations are taxdeductible.

The Food Bank also needsvolunteers to help sort and dis-tribute the food once it is col-lected.

The Food Bank of Contra Costaand Solano has been serving the com-munity for 34 years, providing food tomore than 100,000 hungry people inneed every month through a networkof 178 charitable agencies. They dis-tributed over 11.2 million pounds lastyear. To learn more about the FoodBank and to help, go to www.food-bankccs.org or call (800) 870-FOOD.

Common sense and sensible diet arekey to healthy and safe holiday season

After many years in theEmergency Department, I haveconcluded that the holidays arebad for your health. Check outmy case below, along with myrecommendations to help pre-vent problems.

Fact: On average, peoplegain 5 pounds each holiday sea-son. Most never lose that weight.

Explanation: It’s simple:two See’s caramel and chewshold 172 calories, one slice ofpumpkin pie with whippedcream has 500 calories, ¾ cupcandied sweet potatoes is 365calories and a cup stuffing has340 calories. It adds up fast.

Recommendations: Watchwhat you eat and exercise.

Fact: Many chronic medicalconditions like diabetes, highblood pressure and congestiveheart failure worsen during theholidays.

Explanation: This is mainlybecause people eat poorly duringthis time of year. Folks think thatthey can splurge during the holi-days, but your body doesn’tknow it’s Christmas. All it knowsis that there is a big salt load ithas to deal with and now you areretaining fluid. Another problemis that people travel during theholidays and they forget theirmedications or run out. They canexperience diabetic crisis, getfluid on their lungs or their highblood pressure goes through theroof.

Recommendations: Watchwhat you eat and remember thatmost canned and prepared foodhas a lot of salt. Make sure youhave enough of your medicines.

Fact: There is a large increasein home injuries during the holi-days.

Explanation: Each holidayseason, 7,465 persons are treatedin U.S. Emergency Departmentsfor falls while putting up decora-tions. Forty-two percent fallfrom ladders, but people also fallfrom roofs, furniture and stairs.Other injuries occur when folkstrip over tree skirts, cords andornaments. I also have seenadults injure themselves afterthey enjoy a nice cocktail and tryout their kids new skateboard orscooter.

Recommendations: Payattention. Before doing some-thing, ask yourself “What wouldDr. Birdsall do?”

Fact: People come downwith more cold and flu illnessesduring the holidays.

Explanation: During theholidays, people get together

with a lot of other folks. Thisincreases their chance to pass onor contract a bug. They also trav-el more to visit friends and rela-tives. This exposes them to newgerms on airplanes and in faraway cities.

Recommendations: Washyour hands, don’t touch yourface until after you have washedyour hands and get plenty ofrest. Always carry some handcleaner with you and use it.

Fact: There is a sharp rise inthe rate of fatal and non-fatalautomobile accidents betweenThanksgiving and New Year’s.

Explanation: Many folksimbibe during the holidays andthen drive. This is not a goodidea. People also travel more, andbecause they just have to get toGrandmas house no matterwhat, they travel in weather

See Doc Talk, page 19

DR. DAVID BIRDSALL

DOC TALK

November 20, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 11

AL FRESCO IMPORTS WWW.ALFRESCOIMPORTS

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Clayton, and run by husbandand wife team, Fiona and LarryHughes, Al Fresco Imports pro-vides outdoor lifestyle productsto customers across NorthAmerica.

Their flagship product is theBon Appétit Magazine award-winning terracotta BeehiveOven, imported from Portugal,where it is hand-crafted bythird-generation artisans. Soldthroughout the USA andCanada, the Beehive Oven is aself-contained and portablewood-fired oven on an ironstand with wheels, that lets youexperience the pleasures ofwood-fired cooking anywherein your yard.

The Al Fresco ImportsBeehive Oven cooks delicious

pizzas in only two minutes, aswell as tender breads, succu-lent meats, desserts, fish, andcaramelized vegetables - alltouched by the magic of woodfire.

Al Fresco Imports also offersaccompanying terracotta cook-ware, tablecloths, and a rangeof pizza and wood-fired oventools. Toll free: 866-305-2675

BEAUTIQUEWhere luxury hair and beauty

meet affordability. With a full line of OPI nail

polish, body scrubs and giftsets for all hair types,Beautique is a great place tofind stocking stuffers for theGlamour Girl on your list.Special offers on PureologySuper Straight and new prod-ucts such as CatwalkVolumizing Shampoo andConditioner by Tigi make this a

one stop shop for all yourbeauty needs.

Not just a beauty supplystore, Beautique offers bothprofessional nail and hair serv-ices. Let hair stylist, MaggieAguirre create that special lookfor the holiday season. As aspecialist in hair color correc-tions Maggie can not only cutand style your hair she can fixany home coloring mishaps.While you are here, NaturalNail tech Susan Young cantransform your nails intohealthy, beautiful works of art.Complete your holiday look atBeautique. Walk-ins areWelcome.

BELLA MIA SPAWHERE LIFE IS BEAUTIFULCome let us pamper your

body, mind and spirit in ourluxurious day spa. Slate wallsevoke the sense of Old Italianruins, while water fountains,cupid fairies, and grapevinesadd to the Italian-inspiredatmosphere.

There are four treatmentrooms, two pedicure stations,one manicure table, and asunless tanning area in thespa. Relaxing music plays ineach room and treatmentareas. The spa’s customizedEuropean Facial incorporates acleansing, exfoliation, face,neck, and shoulder massage,extractions (if necessary), ahydrating facial mask, andaromatic moisturizer and sun-screen.

Our massage therapy andspa body treatments are of thehighest quality and are cus-tomized to your personalhealth and beauty needs. Wespecialize in professional skincare providing facials, mani-cures, pedicures, waxing,microdermabrasion, cellulite

treatments, airbrush tanningand body wraps.

Let our friendly professionalstaff guide you through thejourney to total relaxation.5439 Clayton Rd., Ste. E,Clayton. 680-7792.

BUTTERFLY CLAYTON A Women’s fitness, Weight

Loss and Yoga CenterWe are the only all women’s

fitness center in theConcord/Clayton area thatfeatures weight resistantmachines, free weights, per-sonal training , weight loss andYoga, along with over 50 dif-ferent exercise classes.

People always ask “Why per-sonal training?” The answer issimple “if you could do it your-self you would have alreadydone it!” Personal training canjump start your health andwellness program by giving youone on one attention, and mostimportantly, accountability,strength and flexibility.

Dr. Oz says, “Practicing Yogawill make you look and feelyounger. It will help clean yourblood, improve your lungs andfocus your mind.” Come expe-rience supportive Yoga for theback, and relieve your painand stiffness, and gain strengthand flexibility.

Butterfly Clayton is owned bya woman and run by women;women who understandwomen. Why exercise withmen?

5439 Clayton Rd., Clayton.672-4238.

CD FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

Exceeding Expectations Since1954.

CD Federal is a member-owned, not-for-profit financialinstitution. Being a member

makes you an owner! Thatmeans we give back to ourmembers as much as we canin any way possible. Whether itis income, time, education,resources, great rates, and lowfees-whatever we can do tohelp our members be financial-ly successful.

At CD Federal members areNOT just another face in theteller line. In the last eightyears, CD Federal's employeesand assets have doubled. Yetwe still pride ourselves on per-sonal, excellent, and accurateservices. This Holiday Seasonwe are thankful for our mem-ber’s support that has con-tributed to the growth and thesuccess of CD Federal CreditUnion throughout the years.1855 2nd St., Concord. 825-0900.

CLAYTON FURNITUREFamily owned and operated

since 1988, Clayton Furniturehas an unrivaled selection offurnishings in its 15,000square foot showroom locatedat 3400/3410 Clayton Road.Whether you are looking foradult or children’s bedroomfurniture, a coffee table, or fur-nishing an entire room,Clayton Furniture has what youneed no matter what yourbudget. And, with the ability tospecial order from a wide vari-ety of catalogues, you arealmost certain to find what youare looking for even if it is noton the showroom floor.

Over the years, ClaytonFurniture has built its reputationon service, integrity and value.The store has a friendly, knowl-edgeable staff ready to helpyou with your furniture deci-sions. Stop in for the biggestThanksgiving sale everNovember 27–30 and find

beautiful furniture at greatprices. Delivery service is avail-able.

COACH TERRY’S HEALTHAND FITNESS

The most effective way tostrength train for efficient fatloss, muscle gain and sportsconditioning is a program ofstrength based intervals. If youare still doing an exercise,waiting a minute or more andthen repeating it, you areavoiding a great opportunity todouble your results in less time.

In my boot camps I string 10-12 strength, agility and condi-tioning exercises in a circuitwhich are performed for 40seconds with a 20 second “getyour breath back and go” tran-sition time in between. Thistype of training will burn morecalories not only during yourworkout but for the rest of theday as well. It’s a nice routineif you want to get twice theresults in half the time.

Next issue I will cover cardiobased intervals. Coachterry519@comcast.net

CONCORD/CLAYTONYMCA

Trying to find something todo with your child duringThanksgiving break? TheConcord/Clayton YMCA hasthe answer. We will be offeringa 3-day Holiday Camp. Thecamp will run November 23,24, and 25, from 9 a.m. until4 p.m. with extended carehours available from 7-9 a.m.and 4 - 6 p.m.

Join us at Mountain Mike’sPizza located at 5358 ClaytonRd. (Next to Clayton Bowl) onWednesday, December 9 from6 - 8 p.m. for early registration

The ClaytonCommunity Gym700 Gym Ct., Clayton

Open 9 am to 6 pm General info 925.889.1600

Jennifer Beck- Director of Program Development

925.692.2364

Brittney Allan- Program and Sports Coordinator

925.692.2362

Three-Day Holiday Camp Nov. 23, 24 & 25 9 am to 4 pmExtended care hours available

Continued on page 13

Page 12 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com November 20, 2009 November 20, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 13

and a $10 discount on theWinter Basketball League whichbegins Sat., Jan. 16.

For more information, pleasecall (925) 889-1600 or JenniferBeck at (925) 692-2364. Visitus at our new Website:www.mdrymca.org.

All activities take place at theClayton Community Gym 700Gym Ct. Clayton, CA 94517.

DR. JENNY CHONG D.D.S.Dr. Chong and her staff focus

on the priorities of her patients,providing individual and per-sonal care that is only availableat a small private practice.

Worried about pain, costs, ortime? We have “The Wand”, anouchless shot. We accept mostinsurance, our fees are alwayscompetitive and we provideinterest-free financing. Askabout our recession-consciouspromotions.

In most cases there’s no waitand we have the latest digital x-ray to make your appointmentefficient and fast. There’s nosubstitute for quality chair timeand Dr. Chong sits with eachpatient for a comprehensiveconsultation.

Dr. Chong graduated fromthe University of MichiganSchool of Dentistry and haspracticed for eight years. Moreabout our office is found atwww.drjennychong.com. Wecan typically book appoint-ments within a week, so call ustoday: (925) 827-5595. Ourlocal office is convenientlylocated on Clayton Road, nearAlberta Way (Across fromKmart).

GIFT BASKETS BY DESIGNFirst established in 1995 in

Walnut Creek and now recentlyrelocated to Concord, GiftBaskets by Design has beenproducing elegant gourmetfood and wine baskets for ourcustomers for nearly 15 years.

We are a small family-runbusiness that takes great pridein every single gift basket wecreate. Our chief designerand “Basket Guru” Lino

Amaral chooses only the finestingredients available in thespecialty food industry for hisdesigns.

Our gift baskets are notmass-produced as most arethese days. Every basket ispainstakingly hand-wrappedwith high-quality cellophaneand beautifully topped off withone of our signature hand-made bows.

We will NEVER wrap our bas-kets in shrink wrap as theheating process associatedwith shrinking the cellophanecan actually damage the foodand beverage items inside thebasket...and we certainly donot want that!

We ship Nationwide andoffer hand-delivery in the SanFrancisco Bay Area. For moredetails visit www.gift-basket.com or call925.687.8878 today!

IN-SHAPE SPORTNew Name! New Club!

Newly-Remodeled In-ShapeSport is the place to be! Theformer Mavericks is now In-Shape Sport, and is redefiningthe fitness and health scene inConcord! The club has under-gone a massive remodel, andis excited to share its upgradedamenities with new and exist-ing members: new cardio andweight equipment, plus a com-pletely remodeled floor planfeaturing wide-open fitnessareas; upgraded outdoor pooland refinished racquetball andbasketball courts; expandedkids club with new spacemazes and kids workout DVDs;remodeled studios for groupclasses like cycling, yoga andPilates, and much more!

In-Shape is ranked one ofthe top 20 health club compa-nies in the United States andowns and operates 35 loca-tions throughout California,including clubs in nearbyEmeryville and Antioch. NOWis the time to join - Pre-GrandRe-Opening rates are avail-able for a limited time only.Call or visit today! 925-602-5600 www.inshapeclubs.com.

DR. KEITH BRADBURN &DR. RANDELL GARDNERConveniently located in the

heart of downtown Clayton,our newly remodeled officeoffers the latest in dental tech-nology and the comforts ofhome.

Dr. Bradburn and Dr.Gardner are highly skilleddentists who are compassion-ate towards their patients andto their needs and wants, tocreate the healthiest smile pos-sible!

We know your time is valu-able making multiple dentalappointments a challenge. Forthat reason, our office providesone single appointment forcrowns. We also offer an in-office teeth whitening processknown as ZOOM, which candramatically whiten your teethin just about two hours.

We are always welcomingnew patients! We understandand embrace the importanceof family and community. Youcan be assured that you willreceive the highest standard ofquality and care!

Please stop by our office fora tour or to ask us any ques-tions or call us at925.672.0110. (Mon.-Fri. 8-5;some Sats.)

KEENAN HEINZLocated in downtown

Concord, Keenan HeinzCompany is truly a uniqueretail shop. Inside you will findsuch a diverse collection ofitems for home and gardenthat many customers say visit-ing the store is like being onvacation or going to a muse-um. As a matter of fact; theygot their tag line 'Really CoolStuff' from customers walkingin and exclaiming "Wow! That'scool".

As you enter the small build-ing your life will be trans-formed into an escape from allthe pressures of everyday life.Keenan Heinz Company isdedicated to providing a newkind of shopping experience;one in which beauty, art, func-tion, and informal sophistica-tion are combined in a veryfriendly and casual setting.

Filled with hand-picked treas-ures Keenan Heinz Companyoffers unique gifts for you andyour friends.

Relax, breath deep, and stopto rub Buddha's belly. Life is tooshort to shop at the mall. 1700East St. www.keenanheinz.com,288-0159.

MELANIE’S GIFTS AND INTERIORS

Mark your calendars now forMelanie’s Elegant Evening ofShopping. You are invited tostop by December 2 from 4-8p.m. to enjoy a glass of wine orchampagne, cheese anddessert and browse an exten-sive collection of unique giftsand decorator items for thehome. Tabletops are the focusof many family holiday celebra-tions and your home will beright in style with accent piecesfrom her distinctive collections.

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Gift certificates avail-able for manicures & pedicures by Susan call: 963-0893

Beautiquebeauty supply & salon

New Stylist introducingMaggie Aguirrecall: 672-2316

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Pool, Patio, Gifts & Gardens

6780 Marsh Creek Road, Clayton · 672-0207Family owned and operated since 1983

Closed Mondays

An eclectic selection ofChristmas ornaments,delightful holidaytablescape collections, home interior and decor.

Come and experience the magic.

Melanie’s Elegant Evening

of ShoppingWed. Dec. 2, 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. Champagne, wine & cheese

20% OffStore wide

Continued on page 14

EEnntteerr tthhee CCllaayyttoonn PPiioonneeeerr’’ss AAnnnnuuaallCChhrriissttmmaass CCooookkiiee CCoonntteesstt

Nothing says Christmas like mouth wateringChristmas cookies. This year will be our sixthannual Christmas Cookie Contest – a chance to

stir up, bake up and taste up a storm of those delec-table sweets that bust the diet and send us over themoon.

So, dust off the cookbooks and dig out Aunt Mae’sginger snap recipes, cook up a few practice rounds andenter our Sixth Annual Christmas Cookie Contest.

Judging will be Dec.10, 6:30 p.m. in theClayton LibraryCommunity Room. Whilethe judges are tastingand testing, Santa will be

on hand with candy canes and Clayton’s own VintageTrio will provide live music and lead everyone in singingChristmas carols. Judges will be announced in the nextissue of the Pioneer.

Recipes and photos of all the winners will appear inthe Dec. 18 issue.

Deadline for entryis December 7.

Clayton Pioneer’s22000099 CCHHRRIISSTTMMAASS CCOOOOKKIIEE CCOONNTTEESSTT

EENNTTRRYY FFOORRMMPlease fill out a separate form for each entry.

You may enter up to three recipes, but only one can win

Name (Please print)

Address (Must be a Clayton resident)

Phone Number

Name of

Recipe__________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

� Master Baker (20+)

� Teen Baker (Ages 13-19)

Your age____

� Junior Baker (Ages 6-12)

Your age____

Parent's Signature (for Junior Bakers)

Contestant agrees to being photographed at thecompetition. Recipes used from published books mustidentify source.

Signature

Mail your entry to: the Clayton Pioneer, PO Box 1246,Clayton, CA 94517; or drop off at our office at 6200 HCenter Street, Clayton. If the office is closed, slip it

through the mail slot.

Deadline to enter is Monday, Dec. 7

Continued from page 11

Clayton Furniture, Inc.Family Business Since 1988Lowest Prices GuaranteedSuat Atkin

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Brighten any festive occasionwith decorative candles, elegantserving dishes and beautifulplatters. Her exquisite ornamentsand angel figurines makethoughtful hostess gifts as wellas beautiful additions to yourpersonal holiday collection.

Melanie and Nicole and theirstaff are on hand to offer friend-ly suggestions and decoratingtips. It’s all part of the customerservice you’ll find in this wonder-ful specialty store within R&MPool, Patio and Garden at 6780Marsh Creek Road in Clayton.Call Melanie at 672-0207 withany questions.

NICHOLS LANDSCAPEThe winter months are a great

time to reevaluate your home’slandscaping. You’ll have plentyof time to plan and plant yournew grasses, trees, and shrubsbefore the blistering heat of thesummer.

Nichols Landscape is a full-service landscaping companyfeaturing state-of-the-art tech-niques, professional employeesand heavy-duty equipment tohandle all your landscape needsfrom start to finish. “We special-ize in all kinds of installation,including the installation of sodand plantings,” says Nichols.“We can install pavers, concrete,patios, arbors, decks, sprinklersystems, low-voltage, lightingand retaining walls. We can alsodo awesome stuff like waterfallsand bridges.”

Don’t trust your lawn andlandscaping to amateurs! Whenyou need a contractor you cantrust with the design, appear-ance and uniqueness of youryard, call the professionals atNichols Landscape.

For a free estimate call (925)672-9955, or emailNicholslandscape@msn.com, orvisit www.nicholslandscape.com.

A complete photo gallery isavailable to view online.

PERFECT TAN AND BODY WRAP

Perfect Tan opened its fourthlocation in Clayton! Owner runand operated by Jocelyn Jensen,Perfect Tan’s staff focuses on get-ting you fast and natural lookingbronze results with tanning beds,stand up booths and UV freespray tans. Tanners have highervitamin D levels compared tonon-tanners.

Perfect Tan and Body Wrap isconstantly growing and improv-ing, adding new equipment andremodeling. There are nowNINE tanning rooms at theClayton Station location.

Not just a tanning salon,Perfect Tan also offers bodywraps to help you lose inches.Our wraps, soaked in warmminerals and herbs, are all nat-ural. We measure you before,wrap you, and have you relaxfor 45 minutes. When weremove the wraps, you’ve lostpermanent inches! The wrapdetoxifies, tightens and tonesyour skin.

Perfect Tan & Body Wrap has afriendly, trained staff ready tohelp you get that holiday glow.www.perfecttanonline.com orcall 672-8261

POSTALANNEX+Last September, Urmila Patel

had a plan when she took own-ership of the PostalAnnex+ loca-tion on Clayton Road: turn thestore around so that the peopleof Clayton would have a placethey could depend on for alltheir small business needs.

Sean Hilly, Senior VicePresident of parent company,Annex Brands, Inc. feels Patelaccomplishes that goal: “Urmilawas able to take a failing storeand double its sales”. But Urmilaknows that continuing customersatisfaction is a daily project.

“We want our customers to dropin for help with any of theirtasks,” says Patel. “I urge every-one to come see what ourPostalAnnex+ offers.” It all canbe found in one convenientspot…Packaging & Shipping,mailbox rentals, notary, faxing,copying, office supplies, businesscard printing, and so manymore products. PostalAnnex+-5433 Clayton Road, Suite K,Clayton. (925) 673-5246. Mon-Fri, 9am - 6pm, Sat 9:30am -4pm.

THE ROYAL ROOSTERTired of the same old look

available in every national chainstore? The Royal Rooster hasboth hard-to-find antiques andcustom-order furniture to fit yourneeds.

Not just a furniture shop, TheRoyal Rooster also sells uniquegifts for friends and family of allages, including the popularWebkinz and a line of Melissaand Doug Toys.

Their French Country special-ties include gorgeous stationaryand bath items for every occa-sion, including distinctive linessuch as Thymes Bath & Body,Caldrea, Lollia, SonomaLavender and LaLavande FrenchSoaps. Corporate gifts and per-sonal shopping services are alsoavailable.

The Pantry is stocked with deli-cious gourmet foods includingStonewall Kitchens, BarefootContessa, A Perfect Pear andElaine’s Toffee.

The Royal Rooster is located atthe corner of Center and DiabloStreets in Clayton, behind CupO’ Jo Coffee House. (925) 672-2025.

SPORT CLIPS HAIRCUTSWhen a guy needs a haircut,

where can he go? His choicesused to be limited to a local bar-bershop or the salon where hiswife went. Unfortunately, barber-

shops are disappearing and thesalons are full of chemicalsmells and one-hour haircuts.Now guys have a place that’sjust for them. Sport ClipsHaircuts is where guys can go tohave a championship haircutexperience.

Sports on TV Guy smart stylists.Steamed towels.Shoulder and back massages. That’s what guys want and

that’s what Sport Clips delivers.You won’t find chemical smellsbecause we don’t perm or color.We just cut hair the way thatguys want it cut. Check us out atthe Clayton Valley ShoppingCenter (925) 673-5686. We arebetween Bronze Buddha andTavo’s Pizza. Ask for the MVPtreatment.

THE UPS STOREDo you have packages that

need to be mailed? Pressed fortime? Then stop by The UPSStore in the Vineyard ShoppingCenter and let owner TriciaTamura and her knowledgeablestaff help you get your giftsdelivered safely and on time.The UPS Store offers both pack-ing and mailing services so youdon’t need to waste your timelooking for the right size box.Working seamlessly with the USPostal service, they can offer youoptions on how to ship yourgifts.

With ample parking and amultitude of services, The UPSStore can save you the hassle oflong lines and multiple stops.Besides shipping they can assistyou with copies (B&W or color),FAXing, Notary Services,Passport photos, Mailboxes,Document Services & Bindingand much more.

Stop by and let The UPS Storehelp you make your holidayseason more enjoyable. CallTricia at 689-6245 with anyquestions.

RANDELL GARDNER DDSKEITH BRADBURN DDS

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Page 14 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com November 20, 2009

Continued from page 13

CLAYTON COMMUNITY

CHURCH

The church’s light show isback, bigger and better than lastyear, with “The NorthernLights,” featuring more than13,000 bulbs during a 15-minutelight and music presentation.The show was designed byClayton resident JeffreyHolmes, 18. Tune into 91.3 FMto hear the music.

The first show will followthe Dec. 5 tree-lighting and thenit will be shown at 6, 7 and 8

p.m. nightly through Dec. 25 atthe church’s downtown office,6055 Main St., Clayton.

For more information, visitclaytoncc.com or call 673-9060.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

Concord Council 6038, serv-ing Clayton and Concord, is sell-ing Christmas cards at StBonaventure at weekend Masses.

The theme is “Keep Christin Christmas.” The church is at5562 Clayton Road, Concord.For more information, contact

Claire Tryon at 673-8564 orgreyeototo@sbcglobal.net.

HOLY CROSS LUTHERAN

CHURCH

The church is offering acommunity ThanksgivingService at 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov.26. Everyone is welcome.

The church is at 1092Alberta Way, Concord. Formore information, call 686-2000or visit holycrossconcord.org.

BAHA’IS OF CLAYTON

All are welcome to a talk andevening of fellowship onSaturday, Dec. 12. The subjectof the talk is “Education –

Mining the Gems,” preceded bythe documentary “TheMiseducation of Pakistan.”

The speakers are TammySlezak and Armando Troche.Slezak is an elementary schoolsecretary for the Mt. DiabloUnified School District. Sheworked formerly with theCenter for New Americans, anonprofit organization assistingimmigrants and refugees.Troche is an MDUSD teacher.

The program starts at 7:30p.m. with a period of interfaithdevotions at the Toloui resi-dence in Clayton. For moreinformation and directions, call672-6686.

November 20, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 15

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class to learn more about cook-ing organically. “It’s healthier foryou,” he said of what he’slearned to cook. “And it tastesbetter.”

Across the room, studentsDiana Hernandez, IsabellaMontijo, her sister Wren andEmma Hall worked on making acucumber and tomato salad anda yogurt cucumber garlic dipcalled tzatziki.

“One of the reasons I likecooking is because it smells sogood,” Emma said. “It’s freshand natural. It doesn’t have all

the bad chemicals from facto-ries and stuff.”

Although the recipes theclass typically prepares take sev-eral ingredients and more thanthe minute or two a rushed teenmight want to spend preparing asnack, Piciucco related the storyof getting ready for a friend’sdinner party a night or two ear-lier. Just before leaving herhouse, she decided to contributesomething to the meal. Going toher cabinets, she grabbed a canof white beans, some cilantroand sun-dried tomatoes, a little

olive oil, garlic and salt and pep-per. Five minutes later, havingblended the ingredients in aCuisinart and put it on a traywith store-bought crackers, shehad a tasty – and healthy –horsd’oeuvre.

“Just stock your cupboardswith the right things,” Kovacsnoted.

The kids are learning morethan cooking skills in the class.“Our goal is not to hammerthem with lecturing,” saidPiciucco.

Instead, the classroom ismore of an exercise in teachingthe students to try it themselves,and if they don’t like it, to trysomething else instead.

“We’re watching as their self-esteem develops,” she said, not-ing that students learn to trytheir own ideas, using the recipeas a guide for exploration.

“They really learn the lifeskill of trusting their owninstincts. And I think that car-ries into things beyond cooking.Really to have confidence inwhat they believe – that ishuge,” she said.

Asked the most importantlesson he’s learned in class,Christian grinned. “Always havefun when you’re cooking,” hesaid before turning turned backto the counter and adding apinch more cilantro to hisnewest recipe for falafel.

Cooking, from page 1

Church News

DVMS students reach out to give back

Sometimes it is difficult tounderstand why schools careabout character in students.

For the most part, studentsat Diablo View Middle Schoolare just regular teenagers. Weattend class, do activities and

once in a while help out others.While DVMS officials under-stand this, they would like tobuild more within us and createa sense of who we are and whowe should strive to be. This isthe reason DVMS is continuingits monthly theme of buildingcharacter.

The Character in Action(CIA) Committee will continueits work over the next fewmonths. During the holidays,the focus will be on giving backand helping those in need. Thismonth, students will be makingplacemats for the homeless.These placemats will be deco-rated with sayings and phrasesexpressing gratitude and thank-

fulness. They will be deliveredto the Soup Kitchen, an organi-zation for feeding the homeless.

This gesture may seem sim-ple, but it is part of a muchbroader concept. One can onlyimagine how difficult it is to behomeless when one has a warm,clean place to eat every night.

In December, CIA will holda Senior Day where studentsmake snowflakes for those innursing homes. The snowflakeswill have positive and inspira-tional messages on them. Again,this gives students a greaterunderstanding of how the sen-iors might need a pick me upduring the holidays.

DVMS is right on target

building character in its stu-dents. Character influences youractions. In order to build goodcharacter, one has to learn tomake the right choices and deci-sions in life.

Establishing character canbe a hard thing to accomplish.Sometimes making the rightdecisions and placing oneself inanother’s shoes can be difficult.However, little reminders suchas this and a bit of effort are thefirst steps to building solid char-acter.

Robbie Parker is a sixth-graderat Diablo View. Send comments toRobbie@claytonpioneer.com

ROBBIE PARKER

DVMS REPORTER

Students, teachers need toexamine learning expectations

Everyday, I listen to class-mates complain that schoolwork is too difficult, too timeconsuming and that they can’thandle it. Rarely, do I agree withthis. Isn’t the point of going toschool to better prepare our-selves for college and the realworld?

I’m not averse to spendinghours completing homework,when the work assigned isteaching me the material I needto know. However, I often findthat homework and classworkconsist of filling out packetafter packet of questionsstraight from my textbook, or

copying notes straight from theoverhead projector.

I am often frustrated withassignments, not because they’retoo hard – but because theeffort seems meaningless. Theseassignments do nothing todevelop our critical thinkingskills or teach a true understand-ing of the material. They simplyserve as a mind-numbing exer-cise in regurgitating informa-tion.

Because we aren’t expectedto learn and understand muchof what is being taught, manystudents don’t bother to actuallythink. Why do I have to sit

through a 10th-grade Englishclass where the teacher has tospend the entire two hoursteaching students to write anessay? I have been taught thisfundamental skill every yearsince fourth grade. Why haven’tstudents retained this informa-tion after five years of the samebasic instruction?

By 10th grade, teachersshould be able to focus onteaching critical thinking andanalyzing topics in greaterdepth. These are the skills weneed to succeed.

Overall, the expectation toexcel in sports is much higher

than it is in our school work.Student athletes are expected tocommit themselves to learningand practicing fundamentalsearly on. By high school, theexpectation is that a playerexhibits advanced skills. With allof the outstanding athletes atCV, why aren’t more studentsgiving their schoolwork thatsame commitment?

To me, playing sports ismuch more enjoyable than sit-ting through most of my class-es. Just because something ismore enjoyable does not meanthat it is more worthwhile. Asadults, we will be expected to domany things we do not considerenjoyable. It is time for us tolearn, as students, that our bestefforts must be given across theboard in life.

SARAH ROSEN

TEEN SPEAK

Sarah Rosen is a sophomore atCVHS. Email her atsarah_rosen@claytonpioneer.com.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

The 12th annual SubstanceAbuse Poster Contest spon-sored by the Knights ofColumbus is ongoing throughJan. 26.

Posters must be 11 by 17 incolor or charcoal. Age groupsare 8-11 and 12-14 in two cate-gories, “Drug AbuseAwareness” and “Alcohol

Abuse Awareness.”For more information, con-

tact Claire Tryon at 673-8564 orgreyeototo@sbcglobal.net.

CLAYTON VALLEY

HIGH SCHOOL

Two upcoming fundraiserswill benefit the school’s MusicBoosters.

Clayton Books will donate

20 percent of your purchase 5-9p.m. Friday, Dec. 4. Print a flierat claytonbands.org and presentit at the time of purchase. Thestore is at 5433 D Clayton Road,Clayton.

Dine at Daphne’s GreekCafe 4-6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6,and Daphne’s will donate 20percent of the meal price. Printout the flier at claytonbands.organd present when ordering.Daphne’s is at 55 Crescent Dr.,Pleasant Hill.

School News

Page 16 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com November 20, 2009

Clayton Sports

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International flavor for inaugural MDSA World Cup

The 19th FIFA World Cupbegins June 11 in SouthAfrica. But for Mt. DiabloSoccer Association Under 10,Under 12 and Under 14 boysand girls AYSO teams, theinaugural World Cup wasplayed in the past few weeksas a climax to the 2009 fallseason.

In years gone by, theseMDSA age groups used gameresults from fall league gamesto determine which teams fin-ished at the top of the leagueand qualified for the annualend-of-the-season AreaTournament of Champions.There, they played teamsfrom other AYSO regions –including Stockton, PleasantHill-Martinez, Concord,Delta, Richmond andAmerican Canyon. This year,MDSA decided to take a dif-ferent approach.

Because the regional tour-nament field was determinedby league standings, everygame from the beginning ofthe season counted and mayhave made coaches less likelyto focus on player develop-ment and to set up their teamsto be more results-oriented.

“Coaches were reluctant tomove players into differentpositions, since every gameaffected the team’s place inthe standings,” regional com-missioner JC Araujoexplained. “Coaches weremore prone to keeping playersin roles that gave their teamthe best opportunity to win aparticular game. As a result,players were not challenged tolearn different skills.”

To counter that outlookand encourage AYSO’s phi-losophy of “everyone plays,”MDSA decided not to keepscore or standings for fallleague games in any age group– the way they have done forthe Under 6, U7 and U8 andolder U16 and U19 agegroups for years.

“With the World Cup for-mat, we expected more coach-es would be willing to moveplayers into different posi-tions throughout the regularseason games without the fearthat a loss would precludethem from having a shot atparticipating in the area tour-nament,” Araujo said. “Thischange should result in pro-ducing players who are tech-nically and tactically moresound. It should also provethat teams which might havehad difficulty early in the sea-son come together at the endand rise to the top.”

MDSA officials had confi-dence in the new format sinceplayer development hasimproved in other AYSOregions that have adopted thisformat within California andacross the United States.

To determine who wouldgo to the Area Cup (the newname for the Tournament ofChampions), MDSA came upwith the Mt. Diablo WorldCup. Each of the 68 teams inthe U10, U12 and U14 agegroups was named after acountry. All the teams wereplaced in a blind draw to setup the World Cup schedule,with the 13 prized placesMDSA was allotted for theArea Cup at stake.

It led to two weekends ofexciting play that gave coach-es, players and parents a tour-

nament experience and mem-ories they’ll treasure just likethe professional players inSouth Africa next summerfrom the USA, Brazil and theother 30 countries at theWorld Cup.

Scores and standings werekept during the Mt. DiabloWorld Cup, with the top fin-ishers earning their places inthe Area Cup.

MT. DIABLO WORLD CUP

CHAMPIONS AND FINALISTS

U10 Boys1. Wales, coach Joern

Weigelt2. Algeria, coach Russ

Norris

U10 Girls1. Philippines, coach

David King2. Puerto Rico, coaches

Chris and Taylor Linzey

U12 Boys1. Paraguay, coach Jason

Kagel2. China, coach Chris

Snyder

U12 Girls1. Chile, coach Aaron

Pomeroy2. Senegal, coach

Stephanie Cicconi

U14 Boys1. Sweden, coach Eric Tate2. Thailand, coach Andre

Rosen

U14 Girls1. Greece, coach Kim

Apana2. South Korea, coach

Mike Creamer

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Photo courtesy Mt. Diablo Soccer Association

QUALIFYING FOR THE AYSO AREA CUP WAS THE UNDER 10 BOYS TEAM ALGERIA in the Mt. DiabloWorld Cup. After playing as Purple People Eaters during the season, the team was a finalist intheir age group at the World Cup. The team includes, front row from left, Logan Schoffstall,Nicholas Norris, Ryan Roo, Lucas Acton, Noah Banderas; back row, coach Loran Acton, QuinnWilkinson, Martin Jensen, JD Williams, Naldo Villarama and coach Russ Norris.

Photo courtesy Mt. Diablo Soccer Association

DOMINATING THEIR U14 MDSA AGE GROUP ALL YEAR as Vortex and then Greece in the Mt. DiabloWorld Cup were, front row from left, Preet Niijar, Rachel Semple, Annemarie Del Bene, NicoleSimons, Melayna Lloyd, Rylee Heinz, Marissa Macedo; back row, coach Scott Booth, MonicaAmaral, Jennifer Mikkelson, Cassandra Carson, Shaelyn Moran, Amber Booth, Megan Burton,Allee Lazar and coach Kim Apana.

Eagles varsity victory over Northgate ends loss streak;wins NCS berth and re-match against Concord High

Clayton Valley High Schoolhad its most successful footballseason ever last year. This fallthe Eagles picked right up withsix successive victories beforerunning into cross town rivalConcord High.

The Minutemen defeatedCVHS 56-20 on Oct. 23 to spoilhomecoming and start theEagles on a three-game losingstreak that left their North

Coast Section playoff hopeshanging in the balance at theirfinal league game againstNorthgate.

Coach Herc Pardi’s teamresponded with a resounding48-14 victory over the Broncoslast Saturday led by senior VinceBuhagiar. Now the Eagles aregetting ready for a rematchSaturday down Concord Blvd.against the Minutemen and thistime advancement in the NCSplayoffs will be at stake, not justthe first Claycord Cup awardedto Concord for winning the

October league matchup.Also taking part in NCS

competition the same day arethe Clayton Valley boys and girlscross country teams. CoachMichelle Howisey is in her thirdyear at her alma mater and shewas excited by the performanceof her runners at the DVALmeet where the girls were sec-ond to College Park and theboys took third. “It was our bestshowing at league since I havebeen the coach.”

Both squads will be lining upSaturday morning in Hayward

for the NCS Division II finals.Howisey says, “I’m very excitedto see our teams run, so manyof them have drasticallyimproved their times. I thinkthis will be the highest we placeat NCS in several years.” Part ofher excitement is because soph-omore Alexandra Tate ofClayton took advantage of anillness to pre-meet favoriteAlycia Cridebring and won theDVAL meet and MVP award.Six of her teammates alsograbbed All-DVAL honors.

The two CVHS water polo

squads both qualified for NCS.The girls of coach DennisBledsoe finished the seasonwith a 15-10 record. They lost anarrow 6-5 decision to NewarkMemorial in the first round ofNCS as five DVAL teams madethe 24-team NCS field. Bledsoeadded that two players setschool records. Lauren Jonesbroke Lindsay Nelson’s schoolrecord for most steals in a careerwith 345. Allyson Hansenbroke Natalie Nelson’s 1999standard for drawing the mostejections in a season with 46 and

she also bettered NatalieJennings career record for mostejections drawn at 126.

On the boys side coach MattVecchio was proud of hisEagles who defeated MarinCatholic 9-8 in their openingNCS game. “It’s been quite awhile since Clayton Valley hasmade it out of the first round ofNCS. We’re moving in the rightdirection.” They were then elim-inated by four-time defendingchampionship Miramonte in thesecond round. Miramonte wenton to win its fifth successive

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

November 20, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com Page 17

Clayton Sports HHeellpp tthhee PPiioonneeeerr ccoovveerr tthhee llooccaall ssppoorrttss sscceennee.. Send

competition results, story ideas, announcements, sportsshorts, etc. to sports@claytonpioneer.com. Please attach ahigh-resolution photo whenever available.

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starving dogs in the horseshoeof the Falls Trail. “They wereskin and bones and in terribleshape but followed me backhome. My wife and I namedthem Jack and Jill. With somemedical attention and muchlove, they were returned tohealth and have been wonderfuladditions to our home for thelast 12 years,” explains Eraclio.

The attorney for a reinsur-ance company has also summat-ed Mt. Hood and Mt. Shasta.“Other favorite local hikes areBlack Diamond, MorganTerritory and all around Mt.Diablo, which has always beenour main training ground forWhitney,” he adds.

On another hike with hisdogs on a Clayton back trailyears ago he met Kelly, who waswalking her dog Raider. Theyfound they both enjoyed hikingand camping and becamefriends. The Shackletons areKelly’s next door neighbors and

have been hiking as a family formore than 20 years.

“The last four years, as ourkids got older, we started hikingmore challenging trails andpeaks – including the Mt.Diablo range. We feel that thefour peaks hike on Mt. Diablo isequal to any of the high-altitudehikes that we have done,” saysScott Shackleton.

Family hikes have includedThunder Mountain at Kirkwood(9,400 ft.), Half Dome inYosemite (8,600 ft.), the GrandCanyon twice (top to bottomand back), Mount Tallac (6,500ft.) and Mount Washburn inYellowstone National Park(10,400 ft.).

Karen Shackleton says ofMt. Whitney: “It is 10 out of 10for beauty, challenge, enduranceand accomplishment.”

Kelly grew up in Concordand moved to Clayton about 30years ago and raised two sons,Jared and Cole. Professionally,

she’s a certified residentialappraiser. Kelly has been withher significant other, DwightCotten, for 10 years. “Dwight

prefers hikes under 15 miles andSunday football on the bigscreen TV,” Kelly says with heryouthful smile.

“I’ve done several long-dis-tance day hikes over the past 20plus years, like Half Dome, Mt.Shasta, many Desolation

Wilderness hikes and Mt.Whitney, but the most challeng-ing for me was hiking the GrandCanyon from the North toSouth Rim in one day. The heatmade it particularly difficult,more than the estimated 24miles,” she says. “Mt. Diablo isstill my favorite place to hike,especially during the fall andspring months. We are very for-tunate to be located so close toMt. Diablo – just a short 10-minute walk to the Regencygate.”

The Mt. Whitney hike start-ed at the 8,500-foot level earlyon Friday morning, Sept. 11,and ended in time for dinner.“We covered 22 miles in oneday, including a 6,000-foot ele-vation gain,” Kelly says.

Eraclio’s wife and Cottenstayed at the campsite, waitingto celebrate with food and bev-erages.

As for the future for theseintrepid Clayton adventurers,Eraclio says: “I would love to doMt. Rainier and Mt. Kilimanjarowith Joyce and Scott andKaren!”

CLAYTON HIKERS CELEBRATED PAUL ERACLIO’S 60TH BIRTHDAY BY CLIMBING TO THE SUMMIT OF MT.WHITNEY. From left, Scott Shackleton Karen Shackleton, Eraclio and Joyce Kelly.

Mt. Whitney, from page 1

Mt. Diablo Soccer Assoc. names EricTate volunteer Coach of the Year

Clayton resident Eric Tate isbusy these days coaching theClayton Valley High School girlsfreshman soccer team and he hashigh hopes for his young team.

But regardless of the results,the Eagles frosh coach hasalready been rewarded for hisefforts on the soccer field thisyear after being named Mt.Diablo Soccer Association Coachof the Year at the recent MDSAVolunteer Appreciation Dinner.

Tate was a member of the“original” professional San JoseEarthquakes in the 1980s andcontinued to play soccer until anACL injury halted his career. Hebegan coaching while still anUnder 19 youth player andcoached for seven years at De LaSalle High School. He took abreak from coaching until hischildren began playing withMDSA in 2001, when his daugh-ter Alexandra was in the U8 agegroup. He also coached clubteams for Mt. Diablo SoccerLeague and Walnut Creek SC.

He and his wife Liz settled inClayton in 1991. They have twochildren, Alexandra and Jordan.Their daughter is a sophomore atClayton Valley and will be com-peting in the North CoastSection cross country champi-

onships this Saturday in Haywardas the reigning Diablo ValleyAthletic League champion andleague MVP. She also plays clubsoccer for Diablo FC and runstrack for the Eagles.

Their son Jordan played onhis dad’s MDSA Ruckus teamthat competed as Sweden whenthey won the inaugural Mt.Diablo World Cup recently. He’san eighth-grader at Diablo ViewMiddle School and also playsCYO basketball and swims forthe Springwood Swim Team andConcord Terrapins fall program.

When not on the soccer field

or with his family, Tate works fora company that supplies smalland medium businesses withtelecommunications solutions,including VoIP (voice over IP).

The other major MDSA hon-orees were referee of the yearSteve Mann, Patrick Healy fordistinguished volunteer serviceand Roland Engle, who got theLifetime Achievement Award.

Engle has participated with allthe local AYSO regions over thepast 16 years as a referee, coachand board member. Recognitionfor his service is nothing new toEngle, who was AYSO Region

305 Volunteer of the Year in2000, recipient of the prestigiousManny Hirschel Award in 2003from AYSO Area 2C for exem-plifying what AYSO is all aboutand Coach of the Year in Region281 just a couple years ago.

The dinner is a chance for theMDSA board to thank the volun-teers who made it possible for1,437 players on 145 teams totake part in the local AYSOrecreational program this fall.Regional commissioner JCAraujo lauded the 394 registeredvolunteers in MDSA, including280 coaches and 170 referees.

In addition, MDSA coacheswere recognized by their peers asdistinguished coaches withintheir respective divisions:

Under 6: Boys, Ean Ainsworth.Girls, Mark Reynosa.

Under 7: Boys, Jorge Cordova.Girls, Chris Ruzicka.

Under 8: Boys, Jake Pauline.Girls, Joe Kreamer.

Under 10: Boys, Brian Hanson.Girls, Jose Soltero.

Under 12: Boys, ZbysekRychtecky. Girls, AnthonyCampos.

Under 14: Boys, Eric Tate.Girls, Kim Apana.

Under 16: Boys, Rory Gentry.Girls, Felicia Fernandez.

Under 19: Boys, TomRomolino. Girls, Roland Engle.

Nov. 22Girls Travel Fast Pitch Tryouts

Bears Softball Association is look-ing for girls for 12 Under thru 18 Goldfast pitch travel ‘A’ teams. Girls 10 to18 years-old can tryout for thespring/summer season this Sunday,Nov. 22, at Clayton Valley High Schoolfrom 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There is nocharge to tryout. For additional infor-mation go to www.bears-softball.com,email morleykn@sbcglobal.net orphone (510) 715-4294.

Clayton Valley High 2010 Hall of Fame Nominations

Clayton Valley High SchoolAthletic Hall of Fame committee isaccepting nominations for student ath-letes and coaches for the 2010 induc-tion class. The initial Hall of Fame cer-emony was held during the school’s50th anniversary year in 2008.Nominee must be a CVHS grad orcoach in the years 1960-1989 who wasall-league in at least one sport. Sendrequests for a nomination forms to theCVHS Athletic Hall of Fame commit-tee at cvhalloffame@yahoo.com.Include a mailing address and an appli-cation form will be mailed to you,according to chairperson Bill Nelson.

Jan. 9Clayton Valley High BoostersCrab Feed

CVHS Athletic Boosters Club willbe hosting its 16th annual Crab Feed& Auction on Sat., Jan. 9, 6 p.m. atCentre Concord. This majorfundraiser directly benefits all the ath-letic programs at CVHS. Seating islimited and tickets are on sale now for$50 at the school or online at

www.cvhsboosters.org. Raffle andauction item donations are acceptedby emailingcrabfeed@cvhsboosters.org.

Lacrosse club seeking Claytonplayers for U13 & U15 teams

Walnut Creek Warriors LacrosseClub is seeking to set up Clayton-based boys and girls teams in theUnder 13 and Under 15 age groups.Clayton resident Leslie Hunt is recruit-ing players to develop teams in themiddle school age groups. “The teamswill practice at Clayton Valley HighSchool. The objective in starting upthe Clayton area team is to grow thegame, offer good coaching and lots ofplaying experience for the kids andmake it as convenient as possible byholding practices in the area. We aredoing this with the help of bothClayton Valley boys and girls lacrossecoaches.” Registration is now open atwww.walnutcreeklacrosse.com or callHunt at (925) 673-5206.

Jan 11. – Feb. 18Diablo FC Soccer WinterAcademy

Diablo FC is holding its ninthannual Winter Soccer Academy Jan. 11through Feb. 18 every Monday andThursday from 5-6 p.m. at Willow PassPark in Concord. The renownedDiablo FC professional coaching staffwill teach boys and girls 5-12 years oldbasic dribbling and juggling skills,passing and receiving the ball and ballstriking. Youth of all skill levels fromnovice to those ready for competitivesoccer are invited to attend. There areno tryouts for Soccer Academy. Signup today at www.diablofc.org.

JAY BEDECARRÉ

Clayton Pioneer

Sports Shorts

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

ERIC TATE WAS NAMED VOLUNTEER COACH OF THE YEAR by theMDSA. Tate is pictured with daughter Alexandra, CVHS soph-omore and member of the cross-country team.

Page 18 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com November 20, 2009

Clayton Community CalendarPLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. NOV. 23 FOR THE DEC. 4 ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO calendar@claytonpioneer.com

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HOLIDAY EVENTSNov. 21-22Clayton Valley Woman’s Club Holiday BoutiqueFeaturing fall and Christmas items. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. both days,Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. Call Peggy at 672-2043.

Nov. 21Diablo Valley Masterworks Chorale and OrchestraFestive holiday music for brass and choirs. 8 p.m., Diablo ValleyCollege Performing Arts Center, 321 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill.$20, or $25 at the door. 687-4445.

Dec. 2Mt. Diablo Elementary Holiday BoutiqueA gift and craft boutique to benefit the school. 1-7 p.m., multi-useroom, 5880 Mt. Zion Dr., Clayton.

Dec. 4-20“Swingtime Canteen”A holiday musical revue from Diablo Actors Ensemble. $10-$25.1345 Locust St., Walnut Creek. 866-811-4111 ordiabloactors.com.

Through Dec. 5Festival of TreesSilent auction of decorated Christmas trees and wreaths.Sponsored by the Clayton Business and Community Association tobenefit Adopt a Family. 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily, Diamond Terrace,6401 Center St., Clayton. Call Cindy at 672-8262.

Dec. 5Caroling and Tree Lighting6-8 p.m., Grove Park to Main and Oak streets, Clayton. Call theCBCA at 672-2272.

Dec. 5-25“The Northern Lights”View more than 13,000 bulbs during a 15-minute light and musicpresentation. Tune in to 91.3 FM to hear the music. 6, 7 and 8p.m. nightly, Clayton Community Church office, 6055 Main St.,Clayton. 673-9060 or claytoncc.com.

Dec. 7, 10Clayton Pioneer Christmas Cookie ContestOpen to all bakers ages 6 and up who receive the Clayton Pioneerin the mail. Entry deadline is Dec. 7. For an entry form, see thelatest issue of the Pioneer, email tamara@claytonpioneer.com orcall 672-0500. Judging and cookie party 6:30 p.m. Dec. 10,Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road.

Dec. 13Vintage Christmas ConcertFeaturing the Vintage Harmonic Trio and guests Kevin McFarland,Donnie Fisi, John Jordan and Katy and Dell Burchett. Free. 3-4:30p.m., St. Bonaventure Church, 5562 Clayton Road, Concord. 352-6303 or joycenovicky@comcast.net.

Dec. 12Christmas Tea with Mrs. Claus and Santa11 a.m.-2 p.m., Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. Call theCBCA at 672-2272.

Dec. 31Clayton Counts DownFamily and kids activities in an alcohol-free environment withrefreshments food, games and prizes. 6-9 p.m., ClaytonCommunity Gym, 700 Gym Court. Contact the city clerk at 673-7304 or ljackson@ci.clayton.ca.us.

IN CLAYTONNov. 23Women Entrepreneurs LectureFour local women will speak of their experiences starting theirbusinesses/professions. Sponsored by the Clayton AmericanAssociation of University Women. Free. 7:30 p.m., DiamondTerrace, 6401 Center St., Clayton.

EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENTThrough Nov. 21“Witness for the Prosecution”Center REPertory Company presents the Agatha Christie drama.1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $18-$41. centerREP.org or 943-7469.

Nov. 21-22Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra/Cantare Con Vivo Chamber Ensemble“Music That Merges with Words.” 7:30 p.m. Nov. 21, Los MedanosCollege Recital Hall, 2700 E. Leland Road, Pittsburg. $5-$10 at thedoor. 2 p.m. Nov. 22, Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr.,Walnut Creek. $15-$18 at the door. 943-SHOW,lesherartscenter.org or cccorch.org.

Nov. 23-Jan. 10“Hats: The Musical”Willows Theatre presents a rollicking tribute to the Red Hat Ladies.$22-$32. 636 Ward St., Martinez. 798-1300 or willowstheatre.org.

Dec. 3Collectors’ Circle Art SaleOne-of-a-kind photographs, paintings, wall hangings and limitededition artwear and accessories. Sponsored by the Friends of CivicArts Education Foundation. 3-8 p.m., 111 N. Wiget Lane, WalnutCreek. 943-5846.

Dec. 4-6Clay Arts Guild/Walnut Creek Civic Arts SaleIncludes Clayton ceramic artist Ellen Sachtschale. Opening party,5-8 p.m. Dec. 4. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 5-6. Ceramics at Civic Park,1313 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. Paintings, jewelry and textiles at theShadelands Campus, 111 Wiget Lane, Walnut Creek. 943-5846 orarts-ed.org/civicartsale.htm.

FUNDRAISERSNov. 22Breakfast with the Veterans of Foreign Wars8-11 a.m. the second and fourth Sundays, Veterans Memorial Hall,2290 Willow Pass Road, Concord. $4 adults, $2 children under 12.

Dec. 4, 6Clayton Valley High School Music Boosters5-9 p.m. Dec. 4, Clayton Books, 5433 D Clayton Road, Clayton.Print a flier at claytonbands.org, present at register and the storewill donate 20 percent of your purchase. 4-9 p.m. Dec. 6,Daphne’s Greek Cafe, 55 Crescent Dr., Pleasant Hill. Print a flierat claytonbands.org, present when ordering and the restaurant willdonate 20 percent of your meal price.

Jan. 9CVHS Athletic Boosters Crab FeedTo benefit athletics at Clayton Valley High School. $50. 6 p.m.,Centre Concord, 5298 Clayton Road. www.cvhsboosters.org. Tomake a donation, email crabfeed@cvhsboosters.org or call 672-0418.

AT THE LIBRARYThe Clayton Community Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. Mostprograms are free. 673-0659 or clayton-library.org.

Through Dec. 1Patty CakesStory time for babies to 3-year-olds. Child attends with caregiver.Drop-in 11 a.m. Tuesdays.

Through Dec. 3Picture Book TimeStory time for 3- to 5-year-olds. Child may attend without caregiv-er. Drop-in 11 a.m. Thursdays.

YMCARegister at mdrymca.org or 889-1600. Or, contact Jennifer at 692-2364 or jbeck@mdrymca.org.

Through June 17Middle School After-School ProgramFun, safe, supervised environment for children with indoor/outdooractivities, homework help, healthy snacks and monthly specialevents. $220 a month for three days a week; $300 a month forfive days.

NATUREDec. 6Shell Ridge/Howe Homestead Park HikeFive-plus mile hike sponsored by the East Bay Casual HikingGroup. Meet 9:30 a.m. on Walnut Boulevard, Walnut Creek. Off-leash dogs OK. 272-4321 or hiking.bondon.com.

MEETINGSNov. 24Clayton Planning Commission7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304or ci.clayton.ca.us.

Dec. 1, 15Clayton City Council7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304or ci.clayton.ca.us.

Dec. 8Mt. Diablo Unified School District7:30 p.m., 1936 Carlotta Dr., Concord. mdusd.org.

CLUBSClayton Business and Community AssociationMeets 6:30 p.m. the last Thursday of the month, except holidays,Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr., Clayton. CallSue at 672-2272.

Clayton Valley Garden ClubMeets 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month. ContactDorothy at 672-2526 or visit claytonvalleygardenclub.org.

Clayton Valley Woman’s ClubMeets 9:30 a.m. for coffee, 10 a.m. meeings, second and fourthTuesdays of the month, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 1090 AlbertaWay, Concord. Membership drive is Oct. 27. Call Joyce at 672-3850.

Clutch Busters Square Dance ClubMeets 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Mt. Diablo Women’s Club, 1700 FarmBureau Road, Concord. Contact Dorothy at 754-8117.

Concord Stompers Square Dance ClubMeets 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Mt. Diablo Women’s Club, 1700Farm Bureau Road, Concord. Call Jennie at 672-9676 orangelfire.com/id/stompers.

Contra Costa Chess ClubMeets 7-9:30 p.m. Thursdays, Starbuck’s, 1536 Kirker Pass Road,Clayton. Players of all ages and skill levels welcome. Contact Mikeat 639-1987 or uschess.org.

Contra Costa Mineral and Gem SocietyMeets 7:30 p.m. second Monday of the month, Centre Concord,5298 Clayton Road. 779-0698 or ccmgs.org.

Creekside Artists GuildMeets 7-8:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month, ClaytonLibrary Story Room, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton. All artforms andboth emerging and experienced are welcome. Contact Arlene at673-9777 or nielsenjanc@aol.com. Or creeksideartists.org.

Diablo Valley Democratic ClubMeets 7 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month, Ygnacio ValleyLibrary, 2661 Oak Grove Road, Walnut Creek. 946-0469 ordvdems.org.

Diablo Valley Macintosh Users GroupMeets 6:30-9 p.m. the third Tuesday of the month. BancroftElementary School, 2700 Parish Dr., Walnut Creek. 689-1155 ordvmug.org.

East Bay Prospectors ClubMeets 7 p.m. the fourth Wednesday of the month, 1021 DetroitAve., Unit D, Concord. Clayton resident Doug Junghans is presi-dent. eastbaygpaa.webs.com or 672-1863.

Knights Of Columbus, Concord Council 6038Meets 7:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month, except holi-days, Cauchi Hall, St. Agnes Catholic Church, 3966 Chestnut St,Concord. Contact George at 685-9547 or visit kofc6038.org.

Rotary Club of Clayton Valley/Concord SunriseMeets 7 a.m. Thursdays, Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 PeacockCreek Dr., Clayton. Includes breakfast and a speaker. ContactChuck at 689-7640 or claytonvalleyrotary.org.

Scrabble ClubMeets 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. second and fourth Saturdays of themonth, Carl’s Jr. Restaurant, 1530 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. Allages and skill levels welcome. $3 fee. Call Mike at 639-1987 orscrabble-assoc.com.

Sons In Retirement (SIR)Meets 11:15 a.m. first Thursday of the month, Oakhurst CountryClub, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr., Clayton. 429-3777.

Soroptimist International of Diablo VistaMeets 12:15 p.m. the first, second and third Wednesdays of themonth, September-June, Sizzler, 1353 Willow Pass Road, Concord.Clayton resident Sue Manning is president. 672-2727.

Widows/WidowersMeets for dinner, brunch, theater, etc. This is not a dating servicenor is it a greiving class - just a way to meet other people. ContactLori at 998-8844 or lori@lorihagge.com.

Photographer, Bill Helsel will be among the artists featured atthe Civic Arts Collector’s Circle Art Show.

and trucks before the toxics canbe washed into the storm drainsthat empty into the Bay.

It’s yet one more unfundedmandate that all cities mustmeet. While we can’t argue withthe intent of the standards – weall want clean water – the costsare high and no funding is tiedto the requirements. We havebeen protesting the lack offunding for these regulationsand have testified repeatedlyabout whether they are actuallyeffective, but state and federalofficials are monitoring ourcompliance and the cost of thefines is huge – far more than thecost of monthly street sweep-ing.

The Cemex quarry alsosweeps daily on MitchellCanyon and Clayton Road tokeep up with the much largeramount of debris that comesoff of their trucks. Withoutthat, we’d have to sweep muchmore often on these arterials.

None of us particularlyenjoy the sweepers and wish thetechnology would improvemore quickly, but it’s a necessaryannoyance. You can help, too,especially at this time of year, bykeeping storm drains clear ofleaves and other debris.

More clean water regulationswere recently adopted. Theyrequire that even more is doneto ensure that stormwater isproperly treated before beingreleased into our creeks, streamsand water bodies.

For example, by 2013, cities

and counties must implementdetailed measures for treatingstormwater runoff from newsmall projects, including single-family residential projects inwhich impermeable surfacesgreater than 2,500 sq. ft. are cre-ated or replaced. Treatmentoptions range from creatingstormwater detention basins(bio-swales) for infiltration toconstructing green roofs toabsorb and treat stormwater.Costs to build various treatmentfacilities and costs associatedwith leaving more space unde-veloped for stormwater infiltra-tion will impact all new projectsin our downtown as well as res-idential in-fill and even someremodeling projects.

Next week is Thanksgivingand I am grateful for manythings. Last week, I was hon-

ored to be a part of theVeteran’s Day ceremony spon-sored by the Korean WarVeterans Association, Mt.Diablo Chapter 264, at HillcrestPark in Concord. It is very mov-ing to be able to honor thosewho have given so much for us,that we may be free to enjoy ourmany blessings. As we celebrateour Thanksgiving holiday nextweek, I hope we will all say anextra prayer for those brave sol-diers who are in harm’s wayaround the world.

Thanksgiving and the holi-days can be bleak for some inour community who are in need.The food banks are all in needof donations and there aremany opportunities for us toshare. The Clayton Business andCommunity Association’sFestival of Trees (and wreaths)is on display in the lobby atDiamond Terrace 8 a.m.-8 p.m.through Dec. 5. Take a few min-

utes to go by and place a bid onone of the 2-foot trees. Theymake great gifts and all of theproceeds go to the CBCAAdopt a Family program, whichprovides groceries for needyfamilies in the Clayton Valleyarea during the holidays.

As I plan for the holidays,I’m trying to Shop ClaytonFirst! I’m planning to wrap thegifts for our grandkids in brightred Clayton Library tote bags.For just $10, it’s a useful andreusable gift in itself. Gifts canbe purchased from one of ourmany local shops – with no traf-fic to navigate or parking metersto feed. If you’re not sure whatto get, a gift certificate to one ofour great restaurants would beappreciated during the Januarydoldrums.

As always, you can contact me atJulie_Pierce@comcast.net. Let meknow what you think.

November 20, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 19

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Mayor, from page 1

Holiday time can be hard on emptynest seniors and far-away grandparents

It can be a difficult time forgrandparents when families areseparated by distance and theyfeel the absence of grandchil-dren during the holidays.Missing out on birthdays, ballgames, swim meets and dancerecitals also gives them a feelingof disconnect.

Some of our best childhoodmemories are of time spent

with our grandparents doing thesimplest of things. From playinga card game, reading a story tojust being together, the cultiva-tion of this special relationshipis important.

The holidays are a precioustime filled with excitement andwonder for little ones. Sharingthese moments with grandpar-ents makes it more fulfilling forall.

Depression for seniors oftenbegins at the most festive timeof year. With every decorationand twinkling light, memories ofhow things used to be can tiptoe in without one aware it ishappening. An overwhelmingfeeling of sadness can oftentake the place of happiness. Theonce bustling time of year withshopping, baking and wrappinghas slowed but often remem-bered now as a loss.

Seniors may find themselvesfeeling anger and resentmentthat they didn’t even know theyhad. Why do they have to be sofar away?

One way to deal with thefeelings is to focus on the rela-tionships. No matter how faraway people live, the beauty ofcommunication today is that it isavailable to everyone – and it isinstantaneous.

Cell phones, computers, faxmachines and Web cams make iteasier than ever to stay connect-ed. Take advantage of thesetools during the holidays andany family events that areimportant.

Show your grandkids you arewith it by checking your emailon a regular basis. This can be afun and easy way to stay con-nected.

Read your grandchildren

your favorite holiday story,whether it is just your voice or avideo.

Grandparents’ empty nestsyndrome can be minimizedeven if they can’t change thevoid created by the absence ofgrandchildren during the holi-days. Volunteer your time byreading at the local library, wrapgifts for an organization like theSalvation Army or assist with atoy drive.

Giving back always makesyou feel better. It will ease yourfeelings of sadness about beingaway from your family – andyou may be helping anotherfamily feeling the same absencesas you.

KELLY FERRO

SENIOR MOMENTS

Kelly Ferro is MarketingDirector for Aegis of Concord. Sendcomments or questions tokelly.ferro@aegisliving.com

The U.S. Census is scheduledto start next spring, but alreadythere are instances of scamsmost recently in Tennessee andKentucky.

The first phase of the 2010census is under way as workershave begun verifying theaddresses of households acrossthe country. Eventually, morethan 140,000 workers will countevery person in the country andgather information about everyperson living at each addressincluding name, age, gender,race and other relevant data.

The Better Business Bureau(BBB) advises people to becooperative, but cautious, so asnot to become a victim of fraudor identity theft. BBB offers thefollowing advice for telling the

difference between a censusworker and a con artist.

If a census worker knockson your door, he/she will have abadge, a handheld device, aCensus Bureau canvas bag and aconfidentiality notice. Ask to seeidentification and a badgebefore answering questions.You should never invite anyoneyou don’t know into your home.

Census workers are currentlyknocking on doors to verifyaddress information. No matterwhat they ask, you really onlyneed to tell them how manypeople live at your address.

Do not give your SocialSecurity number, credit card orbanking information to anyone,even if they claim they need itfor the U.S. Census. While the

Census Bureau might ask forbasic financial information,such as a salary range, you don’thave to answer any questionsabout your financial situation.

The Census Bureau will notask for Social Security, bankaccount or credit card numbers,nor will employees solicit dona-tions. Anyone asking for thatinformation is not with theCensus Bureau.

Eventually, census workersmay contact you by telephone,mail or in person at home.However, the Census Bureauwill not contact you by email, sobe on the lookout for emailscams impersonating censusofficials. Never click on a link oropen any attachments in anemail that is supposedly from

the U.S. Census Bureau.

For more information on avoidingidentity theft and fraud, visit bbb.org.You can also go to uscensus.org tosearch subjects that maybe of interestto you.

Herb Yonge is a volunteer withthe Clayton Police Dept. & a mem-ber of the city of Clayton CitizenCorp Council, CERT Team. Hecan be reached at 673-7355 or byemail at hlyonge@att.net.

HERB YONGE

SAFETY ZONE

Be cautious about givingdata to census workers

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conditions that are not alwaysthe best.

Recommendation: Don’tdrink and drive and don’t drive ininclement weather.

Fact: There is increasedstress during the holidays.

Explanation: People try todo too many things during theholidays. They worry about whatpresents they are going to buy,what meals to prepare, how theyare going to entertain largegroups, etc. Some also havefinancial strains that worsen dur-ing this time of year. Other folkshave misgivings about going totheir family’s or in-law’s house.This all leads to increased stressand that stress can result in ele-vated high blood pressure,depression, insomnia, etc.

Recommendations: Don’toverbook yourself. Allow forsome down time to enjoy theseason. Set a budget and stick toit. Remember it is the thoughtthat counts. Check out thelabo-roflove.com/forum/dollar/22.html and budget101.com/christ-mas.htm for inexpensive and

thoughtful gift ideas.Though the holidays are

unhealthy, my suggestion is notto pack up and go to theCaribbean – although that wouldbe nice. Rather, I recommendmoderation and consideration.

Moderation means not drink-ing, eating or buying too much.Likewise, it means not fillingyour schedule with too manyobligations, but rather givingyourself some breathing room.Consideration means drivingresponsibly. It means thinkingbefore you decorate, taking timeto be safe and planning aheadwhen you travel by making sureyou pack hand cleaner and extramedications.

If you heed my advice, youmight get through the holidaysunscathed and you might evenenjoy them.

Doc Talk, from page 10

Dr. Birdsall is the Medical Director ofthe Emergency Department and Chief ofStaff of John Muir Hospital in Concord.He lives in Walnut Creek with his wife,Dr. Marian Birdsall, and two children.Please email him at David.Birdsall_md@johnmuirhealth.com

Page 20 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com November 20, 2009

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Lately, news about the econ-omy has been downrightdepressing. But like most prob-lems, the current economicwoes also present extraordinaryopportunities.

One of these involves estateplanning. Low interest ratescombined with depressed stockand real estate prices make it anideal time to transfer wealth toyour children or grandchildren.

This year, the federal estatetax exemption is $3.5 millionup from $2 million last year,and the lifetime gift tax exclu-sion remains at $1 million. Theannual gift tax exclusion is now$13,000 per recipient (up from$12,000 in 2008) or $26,000 forgifts you split with your spouse.

Next year, the estate tax isscheduled for repeal, but that’sunlikely to happen. Congress is

expected to retain the estate taxalong with the current (or pos-sibly higher) exemptionamounts.

Because of these changes,there are deals to be found ongifts to your children and otherfamily members especially ifyou transfer assets, such asstock or real estate, whose val-ues have declined. These giftsallow you to maximize theamount of wealth you cantransfer tax-free while minimiz-ing the value of taxable gifts.

Plus, any future apprecia-tion of these assets will go toyour heirs free of gift andestate taxes.

Let’s say Lindsay has usedup her $1 million lifetime gifttax exclusion. She owns sharesof publicly traded stock thatwere worth $260,000 in early

2008 but whose value hasplummeted to $130,000.Lindsay transfers the stock inequal shares of $26,000 to hertwo children and three grand-children. Lindsay and her hus-band split the gifts so they’resheltered from gift tax by theircombined $26,000 per recipientannual exclusion.

If the stock’s price bouncesback to its previous value in2010, Lindsay and her familywill have saved $58,500 in gifttaxes on the appreciation invalue (assuming a 45 percentgift tax rate).

Outright gifts aren’t alwaysthe most effective way to trans-fer your wealth. If your networth is large enough, directgifts may trigger an enormousgift tax bill, even if asset valuesare depressed.

Regardless of the tax impli-cations, you may not be readyto relinquish control over yourfortune. Under these circum-stances, you may wish to usetrusts, family loans, installmentsales or other arrangementsthat provide your children orother heirs with future benefits.I’ll discuss some of thoseoptions in my next column.

Direct-giving may be good estateplanning in recessionary economy

RICHARD LITTORNO

FINANCIAL SENSE

Richard A. Littorno is an attor-ney specializing in estate planning.He has offices in Clayton andPittsburg. Send your questions toRichard@LittornoLaw.com.

“He went lights-out some-where just beyond the Paris-Soissons Road, while the airrained bullets and his company– the survivors, anyway – rolledon through the German line,shooting and yelling and swear-ing and falling, and disappearedinto the smoke and dust andfading evening light of a hotJuly day.”

And so we meet the grandfa-ther, the “Old Man,” of authorJames Carl Nelson, as he laywounded on his first day out ofthe trenches. Pfc. John Nelsonwould live to be 100 years old,but like many veterans of manywars, he shared little of hiswartime experience with mem-bers of his family.

The “Remains of CompanyD” is a riveting narrative ofthose years and the ones follow-ing the end of the Great War. Itis John Nelson’s story and thestory of his comrades in theU.S. Army’s 28th Regiment,Company D.

To those of you who arefans of military history, the

book will not disappoint. Tothose, like myself, who might benew to military history, this is arich and compelling story. We allknow how the story ends. But itwas not the military tacticaldetails that drew me in andwould not release me until thelast page.

This is not only the story ofbattles fought and won or lost.This is the story of young men,very young men, who wentfrom wheat fields, hardwarestores and paint shops of mid-dle and small-town America tothe farmlands and bombed-outvillages of France. The authorhas found them through localnews stories and personal let-ters. He gives us their namesand the names of their parents,sweethearts, wives and children,their siblings, teachers andfriends.

You follow the horror of lifein the trenches, but you arenever far from hometowns inKansas, Minnesota, Illinois anddozens of other states.

We care about these young-sters who answered the call, bol-stered by parades, songs and anintense patriotic fervor. In fact,we care enough about them sothat when their dead and dyingbodies are left in the fields while

their comrades move past themwith bayonets ready, we feel avery personal loss. We remem-ber which boy will not bereturning to school and whichmother will mourn most deeply.

Nelson’s grandfather and his

comrades become our ownflesh and blood as we see themenlist, complete their trainingand ship out. It is eerily realisticfor the author to leave hisgrandfather’s body in the wheatfield where he fell and wouldnot be found and taken to ahospital until the next day. Thekilling stopped for no one andhundreds, bayonets ready,

stepped past his body.Carl Nelson’s powerful prose

is an army itself: “And I wishyou could have seen them …rolling out of the smoke anddust just to the west ofCantigny, stepping from theirtrenches toward a brilliant andyellow and rising sun, bayonetsgleaming like flamethrowers …plodding on with grim determi-nation … mad with war, withthe glory of war and mortalcombat …”

And then: “I wish you couldhave seen them then becauseyou wouldn’t have wanted to seethem minutes later … the warturned ugly and nasty and des-perate and profane …”

Nelson gives us a Great Warnot to be forgotten. If there areparallels between those yearsand today, the reader will haveto find them for him or herself.This is not a political book, eventhough war is always political.This is a personal book and waris always personal.

Sunny Solomon holds a Master ofArts in English and Creative Writingfrom San Francisco State University.She is a poet, published author and thereviewer-at-large for Clayton Books.Email her with questions or commentsat memorie3@yahoo.com

SUNNY SOLOMON

FOR THE BOOKS

‘Company D,’ a personaltake on the effects of war

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Willows Theatreforced to close, butCabaret remains open

Ongoing financial problemscompounded by the recessionwill force the Nov. 30 closure ofthe Willows Theatre in Concord,the home of award-winningplays and musicals for the last 34years. However, the WillowsCabaret at the Campbell Theatrein Martinez will be improved andremain open.

The company had warned onSept. 2 that unless it raised$350,000 by Nov. 1, closure ofone or both venues was likely.

“It is with enormous regret,reluctance and emotion that wehave been forced to make thispainful decision,” said artisticdirector Richard Elliott.“Although we received dona-tions from generous patrons andsupporters as well as throughfundraising events, the moneycollected was insufficient toallow us to continue our currentor future seasons at the Willows.

“Our precious resources willnow be dedicated to the Cabaret,where for starters we willimprove seating and offer a greatlineup of shows, including onethat had been scheduled at theWillows.”

“Barefoot in the Park” com-pleted its engagement on Nov. 8as planned at the 210-seatWillows. Shows scheduled at theCabaret include 37 performanc-es of “Hats,” opening Nov. 23,and a productions of“Brimstone” that had beenplanned for the Willows.

Subscriptions and tickets

held by patrons for the 2009-’10season at the Willows will behonored at the 150-seat Cabaret,Elliott said.

“We and the majority of ourpatrons already feel that theCabaret is a great showplace andit’s going to get even better,” hesaid.

Working with Martinez offi-cials, the Willows staff andboard of directors are exploringimprovements that include moreoutdoor lighting, convenientparking and new, comfortableseats.

Patrons will be offered com-plimentary wine and hors d’oeu-vres, courtesy of local foodestablishments, prior to everyperformance of “Hats.”Opening night champagnereceptions, a patron amenity foryears at the Willows, will nowtake place at the Cabaret.

Board president CharlesLewis said directors and staffhave struggled for more than ayear to cope with higher costs,increasing debt and a decline inpatronage, due in large part tothe downturn in the economy.Lewis said maintaining theCabaret, which opened at 636Ward St. three years ago, will notbe without “formidable chal-lenges.”

“We are developing a busi-ness plan that should get usthrough our crisis, but clearly ourfuture success will depend heav-ily on continued financial sup-port from all sources,” he said.

Some cats enjoy company.Others prefer a solitary exis-tence but are willing to sharespace. And then there are thosewho want to be sure they are theonly cat – chasing away allintruders.

If your cat previously hadroommates or is a kitten, shewould most likely tolerateanother cat in the house. But ifyour cat has never been aroundother cats, how do you know ifshe would welcome or reject anew addition?

Cats who act aggressivelytoward other cats walking pastthe house are probably notgood candidates for a new pal.With proper introduction, how-ever, neutral cats might sharethe house or even becomefriends. Unlike dogs, cats cantake more than a year to form a

relationship with each other.If there are already multiple

cats in the household, intro-duce the cats one at a time sothat the new cat won’t be over-whelmed.

Cats should first meet bysmell and sound. Keep thecats in separate rooms with ashared door. Feed both catsnear the door to familiarizethem with each other’s smell;this also helps them to associatethe scent with something good.

Exchange rooms after a fewdays so that each cat can investi-gate the smell of the other withno threat, and the newer cat canexplore more of the house.Keep reversing rooms until thecats seem curious about eachother. They might even play“paws” under the door. Thiscould take a couple weeks.

Next, allow the cats toglimpse each other through atemporary screen door or asecure baby gate. With a personcarrying each cat, set them

down a few feet from the barri-er. Allow the cats to see eachother; then call them away whileoffering treats. This will preventstaring and create even morepositive associations with theother cat.

Keep the observations onlya few minutes long and pleasant.Over a few weeks, slowly extendthe observation time.

When the cats finally meet, itshould be supervised and onlylast a few minutes. Choose atime when both cats seemrelaxed. Have a squirt bottlewith water at hand or be pre-pared to make a loud noiseshould a fight break out.

If the cats get along, gradu-ally expand their time togetheralways supervised – so theirbody language can be observed.If one cat continuously bothersanother or hides most of thetime, you may have to ask forprofessional help or accept thatthis might not be a good match.

Once the cats are together,

help them keep the peace.Have multiple resting and hid-ing places where they can go tobe alone. Add vertical spacewith cat trees. Keep plenty oftoys and scratching posts avail-able. Supply a litter box for eachcat, plus one extra, to assurebathroom availability.

Finally, keep food andwater in one area to bring thecats together. Like their humancounterparts, cats seem to enjoycompany while dining.

For more information aboutworking with your cat, visit the catbehavior library on the Resources &Links page at arf.net.

ClydeOne-year-old Clyde is a very

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The adoption fee for adultdogs is $225 and includes 60%off one 7-week dog training ses-sion.

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The adoption fee for adultcats is $50.

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Would you like to be part ofthe heroic team that saves the livesof rescued dogs and cats? Can youshare your talents to connect peopleand animals? ARF volunteers aremaking a difference! For moreinformation see our website,www.arf.net, or call925.256.1ARF.

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November 20, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 21

Annual color can reallybrighten up your color spotsand containers during autumnand winter. Pansies, stock, violasand snapdragons are worth theirweight in gold this time of year.

They are reasonable to buy,easy to plant and instantlyappreciated in your garden or

landscape. Whether your colorpalette calls for pops of red,orange, pink, white, yellow,lavender or blue, there is a colorspot for you.

Pansies have happy littlefaces. Most mound as they grow,reaching almost 10 inches talland wide. They are found in 4-inch pots and 6-pack containers.

Plant this flower in a massfor a dramatic presentation. Ifyou purchase the 6-pack size

plants, it is a great idea to place2-3 cells in each hole. This way,you get more punch for yourbuck.

Chianti Mix is a series ofseedling-grown pansies repre-senting all the warm colors ofwine. Delta Fire features flowersthat are red, scarlet, yellow andmahogany. This selection has alarge face, which is very weath-er-tolerant.

Designer Lavender Splash is a

great pansy for the purple peo-ple. This free-flowering selec-tion will have blooms more than3 inches wide. The dynamite sil-houette mix is a great collectionof lavender, dark purple, yellowand pink. Pansies are great tosupplement dormant herb gar-dens, since they are edible.

TIME TO TAKE STOCK

Stock is a sweet-smellingvertical flower that looks like asnapdragon. Plant stock inentryways or near windowswhere the fragrance can beenjoyed. This is another selec-tion that should be groupedwhen installed.

You will find this plant soldin nurseries in many ways, from6-packs to gallon-sized contain-ers. I prefer installing the 6-packselections because I love gettingmore for the money.

Stock is found in solid colorsand mixes. Harmony Cherry-blos-som is a pretty pink collection.Harmony purple is a nice, lilacpurple mix, and vintage mix hasall the colors – pinks, rose,lavender and white.

Stock can reach a foot talland about 6 inches wide. It is notthe largest annual around, but itis lovely. The vertical growthallows you to install additionalplants around the base of thestock to add interest.

PLANTING IS A SNAP

Snapdragons are very inter-esting annuals that are availableall year long. During the fall andwinter, you can install theseflowers in full sun to part shade.They should be blooming nowthrough Easter.

The flower on the snapdrag-on is trumpet shaped and ruf-fled. Snaps are found in 4-inchpots and 6-packs. Just like withall the other annuals, installthese flowers with several cellsto a hole. Snaps are reasonablypriced, so for a garden thrill,plant all six in the same hole.You’ll enjoy a snapdragon bush,rather than a plant.

Montego Violet is a color tolook for if you crave the coolpurples in your yard. Liberty is asturdy mix of red, bronze andlavender. These snaps havegreat disease tolerance.

Spring Fever is a collection ofsnaps that tolerate warm weath-er. They will out-bloom all theother snaps in the garden.Snapdragons are edible and willlook nice in your veggie or herbgardens.

COLOR EXPLOSION

Violas are fabulous inClayton Valley gardens. Theylook like pansies, yet the floweris much smaller and the bloomis explosive. You will have more

blooms showing then leavessometimes. That much gardensuccess during the wintermonths is incredible.

Just like the pansy, the violacomes in a rainbow of colors.Look for the Enduiro, Penny andSorbet collections. They willkeep you yard popping withcolor all fall and winter long.

All of these annuals arestarted in greenhouses, so theyneed a little extra care whenplanted. The money you’ll saveon the plants will be spent onconditioner and fertilizer.

You will need to install yourannuals with a rich planting mixwith organic nutrients andnitrogen for a growth boost.They will need to be fed bi-monthly with a water-solublefertilizer, specifically for budand bloom. If you want to keepyour pansies, stock, violas andsnapdragons blooming, youmust fertilize.

Color spots are welcoming,and winter is no time to bewithout a splash of color.Throw in a few 6-packs today –you will be glad you did.

“Hats: The Musical,” a rollicking tribute towomen “of a certain age,” opens at the WillowsCabaret on Nov. 23.

The musical is about the initiation of Maryanne,who has just turned the Big 5-0, into the Red HatSociety. With the help of her feisty guides, theContessa, the Baroness and the Duchess, Maryannelearns there really is “fun after 50.” The show hasbeen hailed for its punchy tunes and “cheerfullyassertive message.”

The Willows production is directed by LoisGrandi, with musical direction by Tim Hanson.Grandi is the founder, director and guiding forcebehind the East Bay’s acclaimed Playhouse West.Hanson has handled musical direction for all theWillows productions over the past three years,including “Hair” and “Forever Plaid.”

The “Hats” cast features M.L. Parr, ShirleyNelson Hall, Kathleen Escudé, Kristine Lowry andLoretta Janca as Maryanne.

The show is full of worldly wisdom, dispensed inlyrics like “If you settle for what you’ve got, youdeserve what you get.”

“Hats: The Musical” plays Nov. 23-Jan 10 at 636Ward St., Martinez. For tickets, call 798-1300 or visit wil-lowstheatre.org.

hhoosstteedd bbyy tthhee CCllaayyttoonn BBuussiinneessss && CCoommmmuunniittyy AAssssoocciiaattiioonn

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Meet at the Gazeboand bring your flashlight

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Free for children 12 & underChildren must be accompanied by an adult

CHRISTMAS in CLAYTON is hosted by the elves of the CBCA(Clayton Business &Community Association.)CBCA: 672-2272

Prizes, Party Favors,Candy Canes

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Special guests: Kevin McFarland, Donnie Fisi, John Jordan and Katy and Dell Burchett.

3:00 – 4:30 p.m.St. Bonaventure Catholic Church5562 Clayton Road, Concordwww.vintagetrio.com

with Clayton’s own Joyce andSantiago Martinez & Roxanne Pardi

Vintage will also perform at The Clayton Pioneer

Christmas Cookie Judging party.

Join us for Cookies and CarolingThurs., Dec. 10, 6:45 - 8 p.m.

Clayton Library.

FREE Admissionboth events

Musical looks at turning 50 and learning to love it

Nicole is the Garden Girl atR&M Pool, Patio, Gifts andGarden Contact her with questions,comments or suggestions at gardengirl@claytonpioneer.com

NICOLE HACKETT

GARDEN GIRL

Fall in love with a splash of COLOR

Page 22 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com November 20, 2009

Fast-food restaurants perfectedthe drive-through concept, butthey’re not the only ones to offer thisconvenient customer service. Whenyou need to get rid of old paint, bat-teries, oil, pesticides, chemicals orcleaning solvents, visit the HouseholdHazardous Waste (HHW) CollectionFacility in Martinez.

You can stay in your car while a

technician unloads your HHW items.It only takes a few minutes, then youcan be on your way knowing youhelped to keep pollutants out of theenvironment.

For Clayton residents, no appoint-ment is needed for this convenientservice and there’s no drop-offcharge. Small businesses need anappointment and must pay a nominalfee.

KEEPING GREASE OUT

OF DRAINS

Fats, oils and grease (also knownas FOG) are a major cause of sewerclogs and overflows. Even if youdon’t pour used cooking oil or greasedown the drain, some of the fattyfoods you send through your garbagedisposal may still cause problems.

Cooking byproducts from hun-

dreds of homes are washed downkitchen drains. The fats, oil andgrease build up in sewer pipes overtime and create blockages. Thoseblockages can cause backups andoverflows inside homes or in publicstreets.

During the holiday season, whenmore people are cooking higher-fatfoods, deep-frying turkeys and enjoy-ing large family meals, the amount offats, oils and grease entering thesewer system increases – and so doesthe potential for a problem.

Here are four steps you can taketo help prevent a clog:

1. Keep fats, oil, grease, dairyproducts and oily foods (such as saladdressing, gravy and soup) out of thesink and the garbage disposal.

2. Collect small amounts of fats,

oils and grease (along with meat trim-mings and skin) in a non-recyclablecontainer with a tight-sealing lid andkeep it in the freezer until full. Thenput it in the trash.

3. For greasy pans that need to besoaked, first pour the grease into acontainer as mentioned above. Wipethe pan with a paper towel, then soakit. Place another paper towel over thedrain basket to catch any grease andfood particles as you pour the soakingwater down the drain.

4. Bring large quantities of cook-ing oil (e.g., from a turkey fryer) tothe Household Hazardous WasteCollection Facility. The collected oilswill go to a biofuel company for recy-cling.

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Chuck Graham of Concord.Graham, who helps man theSalvation Army canteen, hadbeen on dialysis for many years.

“It’s kind of a specialThanksgiving since Pam’s healthis good,” Gardner added.“However, being in the serviceof our community, the recessionmakes Thanksgiving more of achallenge and less of a celebra-tion. We are serving about 70 to80 percent more families eachmonth over a year ago but we’reonly able to help about 30 per-cent more at Thanksgiving.”

For the Gardners, that repre-sents an additional hundred fam-ilies. “We need turkeys,” he said.“Boy, do we need turkeys. This isour great Thanksgiving challengeevery year: Where are we goingto get the turkeys?”

NEED IS EVER-PRESENT

Janet Easton, president ofthe Clayton Historical Society,believes that while Claytonorganizations are good at help-ing out where the need exists, theperception is that the need onlyexists outside of Clayton.

“There are Clayton people Iknow personally who could usesome help this year,” she noted.

She believes the problem iscompounded by a sense of prideand the fact that people may notknow how to find the servicesthey need.

“(Clayton) people wouldalmost rather go without thanhave to ask for help,” Eastonsaid.

Gardner agrees that the needis significant. In their own fami-ly, there are plans to cut back.“We are probably going to cooka turkey breast instead of awhole turkey – depending onwhat’s cheaper,” he said.

Like the Gardners, longtimeClayton resident Hugh Tolouiand his wife Flor provide serviceto others to enhance the spirit ofThanksgiving.

“My wife and I prepare andserve Thanksgiving dinners atvarious churches and organiza-tions feeding the less fortunate,”he said. “We consider this a spir-

itual act.”According to Toloui, the

hard economic times requiregreater responsibility. “It is alsoan opportunity for those of usmore fortunate and blessed withhaving at least the basic necessi-ties of life to serve the less fortu-nate more and to give more,” headded.

SHARED MEMORIES

Recession aside, the holiday isa time to bring the family togeth-er to create treasured memories.

“We love this tradition and itspure intended meaning andalways look forward to celebrat-ing Thanksgiving,” Toloui said.“My wife and I are both immi-grants. I immediately felt a spe-cial fondness and love for whatThanksgiving was all about –thanking the creator for thebounties He/She has bestowedupon us, this beautiful occasionto be reminded of it and thewarmth of the people gatheredaround that dinner table.”

Easton recalls a humorousholiday tale. “My great-grand-mother, Lillien RusselmannFrank, had been fattening thefamily turkey for a long time inanticipation of Thanksgiving.Her grandson, Robert Frank,was teasing her, acting con-cerned that the turkey would bebig enough for the family. Shecooked it and then hid it away –then went out and shot a robin,

prepared it, stuffed it and put itin the oven.”

As the family was ready forThanksgiving dinner, Frankopened her oven and took outthe little bird. “Everybodyenjoyed the joke,” Eastonreported.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

Thanksgiving has its roots in1621 as a worship and celebra-tion of the harvest feast, butturkey was not even on themenu. Plymouth colonists andWampanoag Indians shared foodthat was available. While turkeyshad been brought over fromEngland by the pilgrims, the pri-mary foods available were veni-son and wild fowl, along withfish.

Later, however, BenjaminFranklin thought the wild turkeyshould be the national bird. In aletter, he told his daughter: “Formy own part, I wish the baldeagle had not been chosen therepresentative of our country.He is a bird of bad moral charac-ter. He does not get his livinghonestly.”

Nonetheless, it was AbrahamLincoln in the 84th year of inde-pendence, while the country wasasunder in its Civil War, whomandated Thanksgiving as atime of national remembranceand prayer.

In the proclamation of 1863,he wrote: “No human counselhath devised nor hath any mortalhand worked out these greatthings. They are the graciousgifts of the Most High God,who, while dealing with us inanger for our sins, hath never-theless remembered mercy. Ithas seemed to me fit and properthat they should be solemnly,reverently and gratefullyacknowledged as with one heartand voice by the wholeAmerican people …”

“I found it so harmoniouswith this beautiful piece from theNative American tradition,”Toloui said. “ ‘When you arise inthe morning, give thanks for themorning light, for your life andstrength. Give thanks for yourfood and the joy of living. If yousee no reason to give thanks, thefault lies with yourself.’ ”

If you can help provide turkeys orif you are in need of assistance duringthe Thanksgiving and holiday season,call the Salvation Army at 676-6180.

Thanksgiving, from page 1

André Gensburger/Clayton Pioneer

CLAYTON RESIDENT MAJOR PAM GARDNER of the ConcordSalvation Army shares a lighter moment as she receives afood donation for the S.A. pantry from a parishioner

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November 20, 2009 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com Page 23

Of the thousands of applescultivated around the world,only one is native to NorthAmerica – the crabapple. Thesmall, hard, sour fruit disap-pointed European settlers, whoenjoyed the juicy fruit from theirhome countries.

It wasn’t easy to cultivateEuropean apples. Bees arerequired for pollination (andsubsequent fruit) and honeybees

are not native to NorthAmerica. European honeybeeswere imported and it wasn’tlong before apple orchards pro-liferated. Colonists soon appro-priated the apple as a “native”fruit, and some pundit coinedthe saying, “As American asapple pie.”

Apple juice and cider areamong the fresh products offall. Apple juice has been fil-tered to remove solids and thenpasteurized to stay fresh, whilecider is raw apple juice that has-n’t been filtered. Because it’s not

pasteurized, cider is very perish-able. Refrigerate after openingfor up to two weeks. After that,it may begin to ferment.

In most of the British world,from England to Australia,“cider” refers to fermentedapple juice with a tangy alcohollevel. We Americans refer tothat as “hard cider.”

Hot apple cider mightengender thoughts of anevening at home curled up in achair with a good book and ablanket. Here’s a simple recipeusing apple juice instead.

HOT SPICED APPLE JUICE

6 c. apple juice¼ c. maple syrup (the

real thing)2 cinnamon sticks6 whole cloves6 whole allspice berries1 orange peel, cut into strips1 lemon peel cut into stripsPlace everything except the

juice and syrup in cheeseclothand tie up as a spice sachet. Heatspice sachet, juice and maplesyrup over medium heat 5-10minutes. Remove the spicepacket, cool a bit and serve inmugs.

While there are undoubtedlythousands of recipes for apples,one version is memorialized byWilliam Shakespeare. In “HenryIV,” Shallow invites Falstaff to“a pippin and a dish of car-away.” Baked apples have been apopular dessert for centuriesand here’s one with a twist –using them in a savory roasteddish.

ROASTED ROOT VEGGIES

WITH APPLE AND FENNEL

1 lb. fingerling potatoes2 cloves garlic, peeled and

sliced3 sprigs rosemary4 T. olive oilSalt and pepper to taste1 small head celeriac (celery

root)2 parsnips5 small carrots1 onion1 fennel bulb1 large Gala appleWash and quarter the pota-

toes; peel and slice the garlic;peel the celeriac and cut roughly

intohalf-inch

cubes; peel and cut the parsnipsinto long sticks (discard toughcore); peel and cut carrots inhalf lengthwise and then in half;peel and thickly slice the onion;trim the fennel, then cut in halfand slice; core and slice theapple. Preheat oven to 400degrees F.

Toss the potatoes with thegarlic, rosemary and two table-spoons of olive oil. Season lib-erally with salt and pepper. Placein an ovenproof dish largeenough to hold potatoes in asingle layer. Roast 30-40 minutesor until lightly browned andfork tender.

Toss celeriac, parsnips, car-rots, onion, fennel and applewith the remaining olive oil; sea-son with salt and pepper.Arrange in a separate roastingpan and place in the oven alongwith the potatoes. Cook, stirringoccasionally, until the veggiesare tender and beginning tocaramelize, another 30 to 40minutes.

Combine the veggies withthe potatoes. Discard rosemarysprigs. Taste and add more saltand pepper to your preference.Serve warm or at room temper-ature.

Hard cider is catching onhere in the United States.

Crispin brand cider comes inlongneck bottles in brut (dry),original and light form. Drink itstraight from the bottle or com-bine with other cocktail ingredi-ents. You can even use it as apoaching liquid.

POACHED PEARS IN

HARD CIDER

1 c. water1 c. hard cider½ c. sugar4 large firm pearsFresh lemon juiceCinnamonPeel, halve and core pears.

Combine water, cider and sugarin a large skillet and heat overmedium-low heat, stirring untilsugar has dissolved and result-ing syrup is bubbly. Place pears,cut side down, in the syrup.Reduce heat to low and simmergently about 30 minutes untiltender (use a toothpick), bastingoccasionally with the syrup.

Transfer pears to servingdishes (cut side up). Increaseheat on the syrup to thicken.Add lemon juice to taste to bal-ance out the sweetness if need-ed. Serve with a dollop of icecream and drizzle the syrup overthe pears.

Clayton Market Update provided by

George Vujnovich of Better Homes Realty

Helping friends, neighbors and newcomers

buy and sell their homes since 1979

5521 Southbrook Dr $465,000 11/10/09 1568 3/21021 Pebble Beach Dr $1,250,000 11/10/09 5064 5/53510 Oak Hill Lane $835,000 11/05/09 2262 4/2102 Forest Hill Dr $720,000 11/04/09 3820 5/31012 Pebble Beach Dr $830,000 11/04/09 2994 5/3.1455 Obsidian Way $807,500 10/30/09 2981 4/2.51844 Yolanda Cir $618,000 10/30/09 2398 4/2.58014 Kelok Way $660,000 10/23/09 2894 4/31019 Panadero Way $525,000 10/22/09 1646 3/2.51200 Buckeye Terrace $479,000 10/20/09 1710 3/2.53504 Oak Hill Lane $420,000 10/05/09 1716 2/26012 High Street $597,000 10/02/09 2063 4/2.523 El Toro Court $750,000 9/24/09 2890 5/37014 Molluk Way $499,500 9/22/09 2315 3/2.51824 Ohlone Heights $587,000 9/22/09 2313 4/2.5402 Chupcan Place $510,000 9/18/09 1939 3/2.5

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The old-fashioned apple –fall’s great temptation

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Linda Wyner, a local attorney andfoodie, owns Pans on Fire, a gourmetcookware store and cooking school inPleasanton.

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Page 24 Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com November 20, 2009